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VMr/J 



THE LOG OF THE "LAURA" 



THE LOG 



OF THE 



LAURA IN POLAR SEAS 

A HUNTING CRUISE FROM TROMSO, NORWAY TO 

SPITSBERGEN, THE POLAR ICE OFF EAST 

GREENLAND AND THE ISLAND OF 

JAN MAYEN IN THE SUMMER 

OF 1906 

KEPT BT 

BETTIE FLEISGHMANN HOLMES 




THE UNIVERSITY PRESS 
CAMBRIDGE 
1907 






luBRARY of CONfiKSSsI 
I Two Copios Heccivit! 

I FE'j 1 laoo 
i 

'Btc fz, f9tiy 



Copyright, 1907, by 
BBTTIE FLEISCHMANN HOLMES 



TO 
MY HUSBAND 

CHRISTIAN R. HOLMES 

THIS VOLUME 

IS 

AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED 



Ul 




THE INTRODUCTION 



This record of successful venture in Arctic 
regions during the summer of 1906 after 
game, both big and small, is put into this per- 
manent form as the memorial of an eventful 
experience. The log, after the manner of its 
kind, makes no pretensions to literary skill, 
but as a narration of what happened day by 
day in a remote, desolate, and seldom visited 
part of the world, it tells its own story in its 
own way and needs little by way of introduc- 
tion. If the log is perhaps at times diffuse 
and too explanatory, it is because the keeper 
of it has been anxious to inform her possible 



readers, with reasonable fulness, on points 
with which few people are supposed to be 
familiar. While such details are, for the most 
part, given incidentally in the log itself, a few 
words here follow in regard to the prepara- 
tions for the cruise and the fitting out of the 
vessel. 

My brother. Col. Max C. Fleischmann, is a 
keen sportsman and is particularly fond of 
pursuing game on unusual and out-of-the-way 
hunting-grounds, and it was as a culmination 
of a long-cherished plan that he chartered 
the Laura of Tromso, Norway, for this hunt- 
ing cruise in the Arctics. Mr. Learmonth 
of Blandford, England, Dr. Holmes, our son 
Carl — a boy of twelve — and I were invited 
to join him and Mrs. Fleischmann, and we 
made up a small but most enthusiastic 
company. 

We sailed from America in two parties and 
at different times. Colonel and Mrs. Fleisch- 
mann going first to England where they met 
Mr. Learmonth, while we went to Germany, 
and we all finally met at Trondhjem on the 
9th of June. On the next day the united 
party sailed at 8.3o a. m. on the steamer 
Vesteraalen for Tromso, a small town on the 
northwestern coast of Norway, accessible only 

[2] 



by water, arriving there two days later, on 
the morning of the 12th. 

The general plan of our itinerary was to 
sail from Tromso to SkaarO, thence to Bear 
Island and Spitsbergen to shoot reindeer and 
other game, bearing on as far north as possi- 
ble with a view to reaching The Seven Islands 
in 82° north latitude. Early in July when the 
polar ice begins to open up, we were to leave 
Spitsbergen and attempt our real objective 
point, the uninhabited East Coast of Greenland, 
and finally, on the return voyage, we were 
to touch at the interesting volcanic Island of 
Jan Mayen. 

We expected to reach Greenland at or 
near Franz Josef Fiord to hunt musk-ox 
and possibly secure living specimens of this 
rare animal, and it was also our intention to 
go after walrus off Shannon Island. On this 
island are two Arctic relief caches, one es- 
tablished by the Baldwin-Ziegler Expedition, 
and the other by the Swedish Polar Expe- 
dition under Nathorst. 

The failure to attain farther north than 80° 
or to reach East Greenland and Shannon 
Island is explained in the log. Our inability 
to secure walrus and musk-ox was naturally 
disappointing, but the quest for polar bear 

[3] 



and seal was so successful, and we bagged 
so large a number of birds of various kinds, 
that it was, despite this disappointment, 
a wonderfully interesting and satisfactory 
venture. 

For such a trip as we proposed to make 
careful preparations were certainly necessary, 
and we had been long in making them. 
Most of our purchases were made in New 
York, but we found it necessary in Tromso 
to add many little final touches to the outfit 
which had already received so much thought 
and attention, and of which it is here proper 
to say something for the sake of any who 
may wish to repeat our agreeable experiment 
in northern seas. 

One of the most serious problems which 
confronted us was the question of clothing, 
for we fully realized how greatly our com- 
fort would depend on the selection of the 
proper wearing apparel. 

Furs of all kinds and descriptions are per- 
haps the first things to suggest themselves at 
the threshold of an Arctic climate; but furs 
are most undesirable for a summer voyage, 
because they too readily absorb moisture, and 
at this season, when fogs almost incessantly 
prevail, the discomfort of a water-soaked gar- 

[4] 



ment in a freezing temperature can easily be 
imagined. When the fogs have disappeared 
with the coming of the Arctic winter, furs 
are not only desirable but imperative. 

When we were off Spitsbergen where the 
climate was comparatively mild, or lounging 
about on the Laura in dry weather, suits 
made of corduroy were usually worn, but 
the clothes we found most serviceable were 
made of a heavy woollen material called 
*'Loden" — the same as that worn by the 
men of the Tyrolian Alps. This material, 
made in rather dark shades of browns and 
grays, is water-proof and although thick, is 
not too heavy to be worn for walking. Two 
of the men had fleece-lined leather coats from 
which they later derived such evident com- 
fort that it made the rest of us quite envious. 
One of the chief delights of our outfit were 
negligee shirts made of a very fine quality 
of chamois skin, and quite as soft and pliable 
as our flannel shirts, in addition to being im- 
pervious to the cold winds. 

Perhaps the most difficult problem to solve 
was the foot-gear. All of our boots were 
made sufficiently large to be worn over two 
pairs of stockings, — a pair of fine woollen 
ones next to the foot, and over them long and 

[5] 



very heavy knitted woollen socks. The boots 
w^e liked best were laced high and much 
like regulation hunting-boots, and were made 
of a water-proofed, chrome-tanned leather, 
heavily hobnailed. This chrome-tanned leather 
is extremely soft and is greenish gray in color. 
Carl bought a pair of Lap boots in Tromso 
which proved to be a great success. They 
were made of a heavy flexible reindeer 
leather, and were something on the order of 
a moccasin, with a pointed turned-up toe and 
a boot top. A brightly colored woollen cord 
wound about the leg held them on and 
helped to make a picturesque effect. These 
boots were literally saturated in oil to make 
them water-proof, while a coarse grass stuffed 
in the foot made them very warm. 

We had caps and hats of various shapes 
and sizes, but a closely fitting wool cap, with 
just a small opening for the face, was the 
favorite when the winds were very biting. 

For bedding we had blankets but no sheets, 
since the latter in this damp atmosphere 
would prove chilly. The inexpediency of the 
use of sheets was well illustrated by the fact 
that a heavy hoar-frost frequently formed 
where the breath came in contact with the 
blankets. Eider-down "comforters" bought 

[6] 



in Tromso and converted into sleeping-bags 
were luxuries in which Mrs. Fleischmann and 
I indulged, and many a time when the icy 
polar winds howled we congratulated our- 
selves upon our forethought. 

Colonel Fleischmann had purchased in 
Tromso a * ' Samoyede " dog, which had been 
with the Baldwin-Ziegler Polar Expedition 
and had a great reputation as a bear hunter. 
So experienced an Arctic traveller was cer- 
tainly a great addition to our party. Of 
Napoleon — for that was his name — we shall 
hear more in the log itself. 

Dr. Holmes, who was to be photographer- 
in-chief, had fitted up a complete dark-room. 
For this purpose the bath-room was made to 
perform double duty, and judging by the ap- 
pearance of the bath-tub and its surroundings, 
there was reason to believe that the original 
purpose of the room was likely to be lost 
sight of. 

Everything necessary for the preparation of 
the skins of birds and animals, and for the 
collecting of flowers and other things of inter- 
est to us, was also included in our supplies. 

A library of books from the lightest novel 
to accounts of Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, 
selected to suit all moods, a talking-machine, 

[7l 



and many kinds of games were provided for 
the entertainment of our little family of north- 
ward-bound voyagers. 

We were, as a matter of course, especially 
well equipped with fishing tackle, shotguns, 
and rifles of various patterns. Mr. Lear- 
month pinned his faith on a double-barrelled 
.450 Cordite Express; Colonel Fleischmann 
and Dr. Holmes selected heavy calibre, high- 
power Winchesters ; while Mrs. Fleischmann, 
Carl and I planned to wreak havoc among the 
polar denizens with .3o3 Savage rifles. 

We had nothing to do with the laying in 
of the stores, for the food supplies were pro- 
vided by Mr. Giaever, the owner of the Laura, 
who accompanied us as Commander. We 
were able to take only about a two weeks' 
supply of fresh meat ; when that was gone 
the hunters were expected to replenish the 
larder. 

And now a word about the ship which was 
to be our home for many weeks, and of the 
crew in whose keeping our safety and comfort 
were to rest. 

The Laura was a staunch little auxiliary 
craft, constructed of oak and barkentine rigged. 
She was built in 1868 and was of a low 
horse-power — or perhaps pony-power would 

[8] 



be more exact. Her tonnage was 176, with a 
water-line of one hundred and eleven feet three 
inches. A small deck-house with six cabins — 
three on the port and three on the starboard 
side, opening upon a central passage — stood 
directly aft of the entrance to the crew's quar- 
ters which were in the forecastle. Each cabin 
was about six feet long by five feet wide and 
six feet six inches high, and contained a rather 
comfortable bunk, under which were four spa- 
cious drawers. Next to the bunk and under 
the port-light was a wash-stand, and opposite 
it was a long, low, leather-cushioned locker 
which formed a bench as well as a convenient 
place to stow our boots, cartridges and all 
the bulkier articles. 'Midships was the hatch- 
way leading to the coal-bunkers and storage 
room in the hold. Then came another and 
larger deck-house extending almost to the stern, 
the aft portion of its roof forming the quarter- 
deck, immediately in front of which was the 
bridge. In this deck-house was the salon, the 
Captain's cabin, a bath-room, the engine- 
room, and the galley, off of which were two 
bunks occupied by the cabin steward and cook. 
The crew, all Norwegians, was composed of 
a captain, a mate and a boatswain, a first and 
second engineer, a fireman, seven sailors, their 

[9l 



cook and mess-boy, and our cook and steward. 
Carl was an "unofficial " member of the crew, 
for he bunked in the forecastle and ate at the 
officers' mess. Boy-like, he made the most of 
this opportunity of life with the sailors and 
soon became familiar with every part of the 
ship. His special delight was to climb about 
in the rigging or keep the look-out company 
in the crow's-nest. 

The personnel of our sturdy Norse seamen 
was such as to inspire unbounded confidence, 
for, born and reared within the Arctic circle, 
they were particularly fitted for life in these 
regions and had all seen more or less service 
with polar expeditions. 

The Captain, Jens Oien of Tromso, had 
spent ten summers in Arctic seas, including 
one summer as first mate of the Swedish Po- 
lar Expedition to Spitsbergen and Greenland 
on board the Frithjof. In 1904 he served as 
captain of a German Hunting Expedition to 
Spitsbergen and the East Coast of Greenland. 
The first mate, Kristian Pettersen, had spent 
one season aboard a sealing vessel, two seasons 
on hunting expeditions, and in the year 1906 
was first mate of the Fiala-Ziegler Polar Ex- 
pedition to Franz Josef Land on board the 

Terra Nova. The boatswain, Daniel Johanne- 

[10] 



sen, had participated in several polar expe- 
ditions, including one year with Mr. Well man 
in Franz Josef Land and two years and 
a half with the German South Polar Expe- 
dition — eight years in all of polar service. 
Pettersen and Johannesen also hailed from 
Tromso. 

The other records of the remainder of the 
crew in Arctic service were as follows : first 
engineer Eversen, one year; second engineer 
Harry Kjeldsen, one year; harpooners Jacob 
Olsen and Peter Petersen, five and four years 
respectively; and the carpenter Hans Dahl, 
two years. Of the sailors, Anders Andersen 
and Jacob Jacobsen had served two years, 
Odin Olsen three, and Hans Pedersen and 
fireman Hendriksen one year. The chef 
Kristiansen, the cabin steward Hansen, the 
mess cook Altman, and the mess-boy Ger- 
hard Krave, had each seen from one to two 
years' service. 



We had spent five days in Tromso before 
sailing, but at last were ready, and at mid- 
night of Saturday, June i6, we went on 
board the Laura all eagerness and excitement, 
for the long-anticipated moment of departure 
had come. 

["] 



/ 



It had rained almost incessantly during our 
stay in Tromso, but the sun, as if repentant 
for the chariness of its favors, shone with all 
the glory of its midnight splendor, like a g§od 
omen upon our setting, forth, and seemed^|o 
bid us 

"GOOD HUNTING." 




[:2] 



THE LOG 



THE "LAURA" 

CHARTERED BY 

COL. MAX G. FLEISGHMANN 

OF CINCINNATI, U. S. A. 



COMMANDER, MAGNUS K. GIAEVER 

CAPTAIN, JENS OlEN 

FIRST MATE, KRISTIAN PETTERSEN 



PASSENGERS 
COL. MAX C. FLEISCHMANN 
MRS. MAX C. FLEISGHMANN 
DR. CHRISTIAN R. HOLMES 
MRS. CHRISTIAN R. HOLMES 
CARL FLEISCHMANN HOLMES 
All of Cincinnati 

MR. NOEL G. LIVINGSTON-LEARMQNTH 
of Blandford, England 

A. KENNEDY. Valet 




FROM TROMSd, NORWAY, TOWARD SPITSBERGEN 

Sunday, June 17, 1906 

ENT on board the Laura at mid- 
night and weighed anchor at 
3.20 A.M. The sun was shining 
brightly, but the barometer was 
indicative of storm. All slept un- 
til noon and awoke to find the boat anchored 
off Skaaro, a small island in Fuglo Sound, not 
far from Vanno and Fuglo (Bird Island), and 
formerly a whaling station, with a train-oil fac- 
tory of the Anglo-Norwegian Fishing Company, 

[.3J 




but later owned by the Valheim Whaling 
Company, a Norwegian corporation, now 
operating at Bell Sound, Spitsbergen, on ac- 
count of some change in the Norwegian law 
by which whaling is prohibited off the coast 
of Norway. 

A very bad blow made it unwise to proceed, 
for the course, which from Tromso had lain 
in the lee of some of the many islands dotting 
the coast of Norway, makes for the open sea a 
short distance beyond Skaaro . 

A fine mess of cod was caught from off the 
boat. Carl pulled in the greater number, but 
Mrs. Fleischmann landed the largest fish. 

Colonel Fleischmann, Mr. Learmonth, and 
Mr. Giaeverwent ashore after eagle. Saw six, 
and one came near enough for Colonel Fleisch- 
mann to shoot, but he failed to bring it down. 
Mrs. Fleischmann, Carl, and I took a long 
tramp over a part of the island. Walking 
was very bad, for the ground was either rocky, 
or swampy owing to the recently melted snow. 
The higher peaks of the mountains in the 
vicinity are still entirely covered with snow 
and ice. 

Returned to the Laura rather fatigued and 
quite ready for tea. 

Are becoming so accustomed to the cold 

[.4] 




-r--" ;v^«^?»B^^ 



o'^»»:s\8i ^o noiVok i^nAoi^w banobrviidK 



'St^ 




ifH}' >« 







5s^'\o ^^3m ausy^o sWsw ,H»0 



wned by the 
Norw<>gian 

and, S(>i 
^^' ^e in the N* 

; is prohibited off the const 

low made it un 



Abandoned whaling station at Skaaro 



W SIX. 

iown. 

ook a long 

(id . Walking 

fs either rocky. 

4' 

y melted sno^s 
mtains in the 
i entirely covered with snow 



Carl, with a fine mess ofsei id 



that we are quite comfortable at a tempera- 
ture of 43°- 

ANCHORED OFF SKAARO 

Monday, June 18 

A heavy gale blowing ; more squally than 
yesterday. Wind died down a bit about 7 
p. M. and Dr. Holmes and Carl trolled an 
hour for a very large and gamy fish called sei 
(pronounced syi). Caught fourteen, weighing 
in all one hundred and three and three-quar- 
ters pounds. Colonel Fleischmann and Mr. 
Learmonth believed that these fish caught with 
a rod would give great sport, and proved 
their theory by going out after dinner and 
landing two apiece, aggregating twenty-eight 
and one-half pounds. Colonel Fleischmann 
used an eight-ounce grilse rod, and Mr. Lear- 
month a rather heavy salmon-trolling rod. 
The sei fought much like a salmon, with the 
exception of boring too much. The heavier 
rod proved the better, bringing fish to gaff in 
about five to seven minutes ; with the smaller 
rod it took fifteen minutes and put a great 
strain on the rod. Sportsmen visiting these 
waters would do well to provide themselves 
with medium-weight salmon tackle for this 
sport. 

Ii5] 



FROM SKAARO TOWARD BEAR ISLAND 

Tuesday, June 19 

Weather conditions continued to improve 
during the night, and at 2 a. m. were consid- 
ered sufficiently favorable to M^arrant sailing. 
Fuglo lay before us, a giant rock rising sheer 
from the depths of the w^ater, its sharp out- 
lines intensified by the wondrous light of the 
northern sun. Myriads of sea-fowl, — whose 
thousands of nests on the rocks of Fuglo give 
the island its name, — alarmed by the boat's 
whistle and by several shots which the men 
fired, flew madly about and heightened the 
weird effect of this early morning picture. 

We struck a high sea almost immediately, 
and the Laura was tossed about rather uncom- 
fortably. Had a fair wind and were under 
sail part of the day. Shipped much water 
during the day and night. 

Wednesday, June 20 

Still at sea, and very rough. Head winds. 
Saw our first Arctic birds, the fulmar petrel 
(Storm-fugler), also called " sea-horse "(S6-hest) 
from a peculiar way it has of partly running 
and partly flying on the surface of the water, 

particularly before taking wing. 

[16] 



V 



"At 2 A.M. . . . Fuglb lay before us" 



sail part of - 

during the day and ni;. 

Wednesday, June '.{ 

Still at sea, and very rough. 

our first Arctic birds, thr p petn 

, also called ' ' sea-horse "(S6-he."" 
•uliar way it has of partly ; 
{lying on the surface of thr 
> before taking ^^'fIfg. 

[,6! 



At about this point of our voyage there 
befell an amusing incident, — at least the cul- 
mination was amusing, although for a time 
the situation seemed rather serious. Our chef 
was evidently nerving himself for the vigor- 
ous climate which was before him and began 
to imbibe too freely. At first he only failed 
to prepare an occasional meal, but soon the 
steward was doing double duty and was cook- 
ing to the best of his somewhat limited ability. 
In these regions quite beyond the realms of 
employment bureaus, the prospect of depend- 
ing for our meals upon the vagaries of a 
drunken cook was not a cheerful one. After 
numerous unsuccessful attempts on the part 
of the Captain to straighten him out, which 
resulted merely in short intervals of intense 
remorse. Dr. Holmes took him in charge and 
threatened to give him hypodermics of a fluid 
so potent that it would at first make him 
deathly ill, and, if he continued to offend, would 
kill him. Whether other arguments were used 
I know not, but never was man more abstemi- 
ous than was our chef during the remainder 
of the voyage. 

[But, poor fellow ! when once he left the 
Laura his thirst was magnificent, and within 
forty-eight hours after he was away from the 



awe-inspiring presence of the ship's surgeon 
he fell, literally and figuratively ; patches 
adorned his eyes, his nose, and various parts 
of his countenance, and woful and most ludi- 
crous indeed was the sight he presented.] 

AT BEAR ISLAND 

Thursday, Jane 21 

Anchored off Bear Island at 1 1 a. m. En- 
countered floe-ice, the first seen, in rather 
large masses during the whole morning. 
Bear Island is a precipitous, uninhabited 
island, culminating in Mount Misery, seven- 
teen hundred and sixty feet high. The colony 
of sea-fowl to the south of the island, on small 
outlying rocky islets, is perhaps one of the 
largest of its kind in the Arctic Regions. 

The adjoining sea is a great resort of 
whales, and on this account the Ingebrigtsen 
Company of Tromso has established a whaling 
station on the most accessible part of the 
island. Two whales had recently been caught, 
and one, seventy-five feet long, had been 
hauled upon the shore, and was in process of 
being flensed. It was an interesting spectacle, 
but the smell was atrocious. The waters 
swarmed with thousands of fulmars, feeding, 
vulture-like, upon the refuse from the whales. 

[i8] 




A\ iWm \i'^i\vwMi ■6'\b\»u$ biV'i 






V)j\fi\2\ 'xoaft .'Aod'wR b$\o aioO •s^hojuo'^'wB. 



i"8 t' !ose, and various \ 

i woful and most ludi- 
he presented.] 



"The waters swarmed with thousands of fulmars" 



i iti the Arctic Regions. 

is a great resort of 

account the Ingebrigtsen 

has estahiished a whaling 

'>{e part of tho 

;ily been < 

I)a(J h 
as in process of 
spectacle, 
'' alrociou> 

nds of ft 

Burgomaster Gate and Harbor, Bear Island 





^ 



The burgomaster, also a species of gull 
(Larus glaucus), abounds on certain rocks of 
the island. Auk (Uria lomvia) flew past the 
Laura in great numbers, and Colonel Fleisch- 
mann, Mr. Learmonth, and Dr. Holmes brought 
down one hundred of these birds in a com- 
paratively short time, while one of the ship's 
boats picked them up as they fell into the 

water. 

The men went ashore to look for birds' eggs 
on a small island at the entrance of the har- 
bor in which the Laura lay anchored. The 
climb up the steep sides of the rugged rocks 
where the birds nest — if any chance spot in 
a rock which will hold an egg can be called 
a nest — was full of excitement. Eggs of the 
fulmar were found in abundance, and it was 
necessary to use force to remove the birds 
from their nests. They would not fly, and the 
only indication of anger or fright exhibited 
was shown by the ejection from the mouth of 
a green, thick, fluid substance which was 
thrown some distance. Two of these birds 
were secured for specimens. Out of thirty-six 
eggs gathered, only four were found to be 
sufficiently fresh to be edible. 

The view of sea and ice obtained from the 
summit of the island was most magnificent and 

[19] 



well worth the effort of scaling the rocks. 
Foxes are found on Bear Island, and early 
this summer a bear was killed here, the first 
in many years at this season, though in win- 
ter they are not infrequently taken. Weather 
cloudy-bright. 



FROM BEAR ISLAND TOWARD BELL SOUND, 
SPITSBERGEN 

Friday, June 22 

Left Bear Island at 2 a. m. When a short way 
out encountered very heavy drift-ice, rather 
unusual in this latitude so late in the season, 
although here in 187 1 the Austrian Arctic 
Expedition under Lieutenants Weyprecht and 
Payer was beset ten days in the ice. Our 
progress was very slow, and morning found 
us still in full view of Bear Island. Did not 
reach clear water until eleven. The air was 
very sharp, thermometer 33|° F., and during 
the day there were several sharp snow flur- 
ries. Wind freshened and sea increased con- 
siderably, so that the Laura shipped water 
freely and took over several green seas. Saw 
two seal on the ice off Bear Island. 



[20] 







"a;M-!i\j*\b ^usuaA ^'\ao i^sTiimiOOrtb \jjo N[_mi V\OJ\^ n s\aAI/" 




; Bear island, 
r a bear was killed here, t 

eason, though in win- 
ter they are not i ntly ' Weather 
cloudy-brigbl. 



"When a short way out encountered very heavy drift-ice" 





iound 




Did not 


rciicii i/ii 


liie air was 


very sharp, Ui 


, and during 


■re wi . 


!) snow flur- 

1. 


■', ' 


a aiiu Si.a increased coh- 




^ ira shipped water 


I lOOK 


- f ai green seas. Saw 


ai on Ih 


v)ear Island. 




Ij>-' 




:.-^#^ 



*i*k-?i^^ , 



Saturday, Jane 23 

High sea still running. At 5.3o a.m. un- 
shipped our rudder. It was secured again, but 
the sea being too rough to ship it, and no an- 
chorage nearer than Spitsbergen, we made a 
temporary rudder out of a spar and went on, 
towing rudder astern. Sighted Spitsbergen at 
7.3o P.M., but on account of head wind and 
damaged rudder, could make only about one 
to three knots. 

Wind north-northwest, which should favor 
ice conditions on the northeast coast of 
Greenland. 

Sunday, June 2i 

Passed several large icebergs during the 
morning. Towing-rope of rudder became en- 
tangled in the propeller ; we lay to for several 
hours, when it was finally freed. Looked for 
good anchorage in which to repair rudder, 
and had to retrace our course some distance. 
At 7 p. M., twenty-four hours after first sighting 
Spitsbergen, anchored in a sheltered bay east 
of South Gape. Sea still high. 

Saw several seal, flocks of eider duck, — 
the first since leaving Norway, — and to us a 
new variety of water-fowl of the guillemot 
family called "teist,"* a rather small, black 

^ The black guillemot or sea-pigeon (Cepphus grylle^. 

[21] 



and white bird with red legs, also the usual 
auks, and some little auks as well. Late in the 
evening it snowed quite hard for a short time. 

Monday, June 25 

Rudder repaired, and again at sea by 3 a. m. 
Weather better, although head winds still pre- 
vail. Sea rather calm by evening. Early in 
the day came in view of Hornsunds Tind 
(Hornsound Peak), forty-five hundred feet, the 
highest mountain in Spitsbergen and very sel- 
dom entirely clear from clouds. Our view of 
the peak showed its usual condition, — a broad 
stratum of cloud crossing the mountain at the 
junction of the middle with its upper third, 
leaving the high, ice-clad peaks exposed to 
view and brilliantly reflecting the light of the 
sun which now and then broke through the 
cloud-rifts. The mountain remained in sight 
all day and late into the night. 

Tuesday, June 26 

Arrived in Recherche Bay off Bell Sound at 
10 A. M. An amphitheatre of snow-clad moun- 
tains so completely encircles the bay that one 
scarcely sees the entrance to this sheltered 
harbor, but a number of whaling companies 
detract greatly from its natural beauties. 



i'.")\v>(\<\j boab V>s\» >c\oh»\_Vjo-3\»Aoj ^n'sboH 




'mswT^fmH^H 



bird wir 

li quite hard tor a shoil 

Monday, Jane :-:o 

' and again at sea by 3 A.M. 

•I. aithougJi head winds still pre- 

' a by evening. Early in 



Floating whale-oil factory and dead whales 



■'iT ' •'"• 



-nits. 



taui? 

St 

hari>' 
detriu.t gi 



j^Hciivs exposed to 

cUng the light of the 

liien broke through the 

uiountain remained in sight 

,iito the night. 

Tuesday, June 20 

iiorche Bay off Bell SoundTat 

hitheatre of snow-clad moun- 

rncircles the bay that one 

> ,o/^ t/^ iliiv >iVif'l' 

Flensinq a whale 
1"! 




;f .€9 




kan ^' ^oiib '\3\Vi'3l 



bao\?A •\3\)'j'^ no 



^iR. 




^•A:^vJb '\ab'j3'\o '^nd k 



Mrs. Fleischmann and Pettersen Eider duck's nest 

on Eider Island 



A bag of eider ducks 



Seven companies are operating here in a 
different manner from the usual method of 
producing whale oil. The blubber is rendered 
on board of a large vessel, converted for the 
purpose into a whale-oil factory. The whale 
is brought alongside by the whaling tug, and 
is flensed in the water by men in row-boats ; 
the blubber is then hoisted on board the ship 
and into the vat. The waters are filled with 
the offal from the whales, and multitudes of 
fulmars, as at Bear Island, are always feast- 
ing upon it. 

Eider Island, ten miles away, furnished a 
fine day's sport. The bag was sixty-nine 
eider ducks, one blackbacked gull, one bur- 
gomaster, one herring gull, five terns, two 
snippets, three geese, three robber gulls 
(skuas), two little auks, and five small white 
birds (snow buntings). A number of eider 
eggs were gathered. The island was low, 
with rather steep shore lines, and the surface 
rocky and largely covered with shale. 

Mr. Learmonth had a try at some seal 
which were on the ice not far from where we 
lay. He shot three, but they slid into the 
water as soon as they were hit and he could 
not get them. They are always difficult to 
secure, particularly on the bay ice, for they 

[=-3] 



He on the ice immediately above their holes 
and slide in upon the slightest alarm, and in 
this instance instinctively flopped down even 
in the death struggle. Weather cloudy-bright, 
except for a short time during the afternoon. 

RECHERCHE BAY, BELL SOUND, TOWARD 
GREEN HARBOR, ICE FIORD 

Wednesday, June 27 

Weighed anchor at 5 a. m., and a few hours 
later entered Ice Fiord. It snowed all dur- 
ing the morning, and sea ran rather high. At 
6 P.M. anchored in Green Harbor, office Fiord, 
where there is another whaling station. De- 
cided not to sail as intended, on account of 
high wind. At about ii p.m. Mr. Learmonth 
and Colonel Fleischmann went for reindeer, 
as there were reports of some having been 
seen in a valley near our anchorage. 

FROM GREEN HARBOR, ICE FIORD, TOWARD 
COAL BAY, ICE FIORD 

Thursday, June 28 

Colonel Fleischmann and Mr. Learmonth 
returned at 4 a. m. without having seen a rein- 
deer. Left Green Harbor at 6 a. m. and at 
ID o'clock put in at Coal Bay,' another arm of 
Ice Fiord, where reindeer are usually to be 

1 " Coles Bay. Of late years generally but wrongly called Coal Bay." 
(Conway, " The First Crossing of Spitsbergen.") 

[24] 








( 



U\uA ^i\\ •\s\\\> ,hji3 ViiAu ?.^m\oH .nG 



ill U|iU{t 

uuta lastance instin 

in t)' ' h stru; i , ■^^^ 

except lor a short Uiif during ti noon. 

f '-H?^ » SOUN! ID 



V-> 



The result of a successful reindeer hunt 

Dr. Holmes, Carl, and two sailors 
i not to sail a> 

high wind 

and 

9.- 



been 
iD. TOWARD 



ge. 



•1 Mr. Learmpnth 
'ving seen a rein- 
i G A. M. and al 
Bav,* another 



Bty. (X 

?:, Dr. Holmes and Carl, after the hunt 



found in large numbers in the corries among 
the surrounding mountains. Five rifles went 
out in two parties, and the joint bag amounted 
to nine deer. Carl killed his first deer, a fine, 
big fellow. The hunters tramped from sixteen 
to eighteen miles of very bad going, on account 
of sharp rocks, deep snow and bogs. 

Several sailors accompany each hunting 
party, for the bringing of the deer to the ship 
is an arduous task and tests to the utmost the 
strength of these hardy Norsemen. As soon 
as an animal is killed, it is gralloched, and the 
head is usually cut off and left behind, for 
unfortunately the antlers during the summer 
months are in velvet, and the hunter rarely 
finds a specimen worth keeping as a trophy. 
The legs of the deer are then bound together, 
and the sailor by a dexterous pull works his 
head through the loop thus formed between 
the body and legs, and at the same time bends 
far forward, thus causing the carcass to rest 
upon his neck and shoulders in such a way as 
not to impede his walking. With the aid of a 
stout Alpine stick he tramps over the rough 
country and reaches the ship but little if any 
more fatigued, despite his heavy burden, than 
our hunters, who find even their guns rapidly 
gaining in weight with every weary mile. 



[25 



Once on board the deer is skinned and cut 
into pieces. The choice cuts are selected for 
our table and are hung in the rigging, where 
we have a most unique "cold-storage plant," 
and the remainder is salted away for future 
consumption by the crew. 

Mrs. Fleischmann and I went ashore while 
the men were away and got several shots at 
geese and eider ducks. 

Coal croppings are very frequent in the re- 
gion about Coal Bay. 

Weather during the day cloudy-bright, mild, 
and no wind. The sun shone brilliantly during 
the whole night and made of the calm waters 
of the bay, surrounded as it is by high snow- 
clad ridges rising above the lower brown moss- 
covered hills and valley, a serenely entrancing 
picture. Through the entrance to the bay the 
snows of Prince Charles Foreland gleamed in 
the distance. 

GOAL BAY, ICE FIORD 

Friday, June 29 

Mr. Learmonth was the only one of the 
hunters sufficiently energetic to again tramp 
after deer ; brought down two. Dr. Holmes 
remained on board to skin and prepare speci- 
mens, and the Colonel went with Mrs. Fleisch- 
mann and me to have a try at birds. Killed a 

[a6] 




A •\n\vi- 









g, where 
age p' 
for tuture 

re while 
'sols at 



' ' On the shore where we landed was the winter hut of a 
reindeer hunter" 

Carl, Mrs. Fleischmann, Colonel Fleischmann 
and Mrs. Holmes ^. 

he lower 1 
.d vaiioy, a sere' ' 
iough the entrr wr j^^j U^o 

i'nnce Charles ^ djiid gleamed in 

:e fiord 

'line 29 

m the only one of the 
■ rgetic lo again tramp 

Dr. Holmes 

ret 

mens. "■^'■■-- ■ 

manrt 



king eider — very rare — and so far the most 
valuable acquisition to our collection; also 
killed one longtailed duck, one herring gull, 
three eiders, one gray goose, and four little 
brow^n-breasted waders (something like a snipe 
but found swimming),' — all of them new 
to us. 

On the shore where we landed was the 
winter hut of a reindeer hunter, a miserable, 
sod-covered hovel built close to the water's 
edge. In this hut were the furs of polar bears 
and arctic foxes ; on racks outside hung many 
reindeer skins, and barrels nearby were filled 
with the salted meat. Scattered about were 
the carcasses of the animals, — a foul, ill- 
smelling camp indeed. 

Weather as on the previous day. 

COAL BAY, ICE FIORD TOWARD ADVENT BAY, 
ICE FIORD 

Saturday, June 30 

After midnight, or rather toward i a. m., the 
men went ashore to the small lake about a 
mile inland where we found the king eider, 
in hopes of seeing another, but the one shot 
was evidently a solitary specimen. They 
killed two gray geese, three longtailed ducks, 

^ Phalaropes, probably Chrymophilus fulicarius. 
[27] 



one eider, five snippets, two red-throated loons 
or divers (Urinator lumme), and one w^hite- 
cheeked goose (Branta leucopsis), -^ — the two 
latter being the first of the kind seen. The 
white-cheeked goose is very scarce. In jump- 
ing ashore from the small boat Mr. Giaever 
slipped and sprained his ankle rather severely. 
Sailed for Advent Bay at 6 a. m. and cast 
anchor there at lo o'clock. Advent Bay was 
very disappointing and most unattractive. 
The surrounding hills, although free from 
snow, present a barren aspect, and the only 
vegetation discernible was the brown-tinted 
moss on some of the rugged slopes. The 
croppings of coal to be seen everywhere only 
heightened the dreary, desolate effect. An 
American coal company operates on the south 
side of the bay, but the coal is brought from 
some distance inland. The miners were on a 
strike, — the usual cry of shorter hours and a 
higher wage scale. We coaled on the op- 
posite shore, where an English-Norwegian 
company has driven a tunnel into the side 
of the mountain and is mining coal by gravity. 
The price is eighteen kroner^ a ton, delivered 
on board, and the quality much like Poca- 
hontas. The coal was brought to the Laura 

' A kroner is the equivalent of twenty-eight cents. 
[28] 



by lighter, because the EngHsh-Norwegian 
company, unlike its American competitors, 
has no deep anchorage. The acting manager 
of the company, Mr. Daae, and the resident 
physician. Dr. Ulstad, both Norwegians, dined 
with us. Weather cloudy. 



AT ADVENT BAY, ICE FIORD 
Sunday, July 1 

The birds shot had accumulated in such 
numbers that we devoted many hours of the 
twenty -four to skinning and preparing the 
specimens with arsenic. This was quite a 
task, and we frequently worked late into the 
night. 

Dr. Holmes pressed us all into service as 
assistants, but he was our expert and most 
indefatigable worker. Arctic birds are partic- 
ularly difficult to prepare properly on account 
of their excessive fat. The skins of the eider 
ducks were the most difficult to handle, since 
they were covered with and permeated by the 
fat, and it was necessary to scrape and re- 
scrape them in order that the arsenic might 
penetrate sufficiently to act as a preservative. 
Our small combination bath-room and work- 
ing] 



shop — which, as I have already mentioned, 
was likewise used as a dark-room — was a 
rather cold place in which to work, and our 
fingers were often stiff and benumbed.* 

The geese made excellent eating, but the 
ducks, on account of the superabundance of 
fat, were too oily to be edible. The auks, 
after lying in salt water overnight, were 
boiled and served to the crew ; but \ye had 
no opportunity to judge of their palatableness, 
as they were not considered sufficiently good 
to serve at our table. 

The Norwegians again dined with us. Two 
Germans, Herr Lerner and Herr Riemeyer, 
the latter an artist, — representing the Ber- 
liner Lokal Anzeiger and styling themselves the 
"German Polar Expedition," — called on us 
during the afternoon. They are sailing about 
Spitsbergen in a small steamer, the Express. 

Rained at intervals all day. 

t Our preparation of the specimens was somewhat crude, and the skins were 
ultimately tanned and made ready for mounting by a skilled taxidermist in Berlin, 
where Dr. Holmes and I went immediately after our return to Norway ; iut the 
birds were finally mounted in the United States. 



[30] 



FROM ADVENT BAY TOWARD SASSEN BAY, 
ICE FIORD 

Monday, July 2 

Sailed at 3 a. m. for Sassen Bay, and anchored 
off Temple Mountain early in the morning. 
The gigantic buttressed sides of this moun- 
tain, rising sentinel-like from the gray-blue 
of the waters, formed a never-to-be-forgotten 
picture. Altogether the grandeur of Sassen 
Bay is by far more impressive than anything 
we have yet seen. Two parties, including Dr. 
Ulstad, who had come with us from Advent 
Bay, shot up the De Geer Valley and killed 
nine reindeer ; also shot four sea parrots 
(Fratercula arctica) of which great numbers 
were seen flying about the steep cliffs. Moved 
farther up the bay late in the afternoon and 
killed four more deer. 

The Express, evidently following us, anchored 
in Sassen Bay a few hours later than we. 
Weather cloudy-bright. 

FROM SASSEN BAY TOWARD PRINCE 
CHARLES FORELAND 

Tuesday, July 3 

Left Sassen Bay at 3 a. m. Returned to 
Advent Bay where we dropped Dr. Ulstad. 
Remained for a few hours to coal, then went on 

[3i] 



through Ice Fiord and sailed northward once 
more. Weather cloudy. 

FROM PRINCE CHARLES FORELAND TOWARD 
DANES ISLAND 

"Wednesday, July h 

At i2.3o A. M. anchored at Foreland Island, 
off the head-land of Prince Charles Foreland, 
for bird hunting. Everywhere on this low, 
boggy island eiders were sitting on their eggs, 
and even our approach rarely disturbed them. 
Some had already hatched their little broods. 
There were innumerable females, but com- 
paratively few males. The nests are composed 
entirely of down, plucked from the female's 
own breast and placed on the bare rock. Four 
guns in a few hours shot thirty ring geese, 
twenty-eight eiders, three terns, five robber 
gulls, and three burgomasters. Robber gulls 
are always killed at every opportunity, because 
they feed on the eggs and young of other 
birds. 

Again set sail at 5 a.m., and at sea all day 
off Prince Charles Foreland and Seven Ice 
Mountains. Weather cloudy and gloomy. Sea 
somewhat rough, but favorable wind enabled 
us to use sails, and we made seven knots, — 
better going than at any previous time. 

[32] 



The Seven Ice Mountains are a magnificent 
range of peaks broken at intervals by a suc- 
cession of seven glaciers. Long, low lines of 
dark-gray clouds hung heavily over the moun- 
tains and helped to offset the blue of the gla- 
ciers where they joined the dull waters. 

At about 9 P.M. anchored off Danes Island 
in Virgo Bay, where the Wellman-Record- 
Herald Polar Expedition have established 
their station on the site of the ill-fated Andree 
Expedition. The entrance to the sheltered har- 
bor is through Danes Gat, and is almost en- 
tirely concealed by a semicircle of ice-covered 
mountains. As soon as we anchored, twenty- 
one guns (shot-guns) were fired from the 
shore in honor of the Fourth, and we, of 
course, returned the salute. Major Hersey, 
Dr. Fowler, Mr. Liwenthal, Mr. Riesenberg, 
Mr. Raeder, Mr. Roseman, all of whom we 
had met in Tromso at a dinner given by Mr. 
Giaever, spent the evening on board with us. 
They had sailed from Tromso on the Frithjof 
the night before we left. Mr. Wellman had 
not arrived, but he and several balloon ex- 
perts are due in a few days. 



[331 



OFF CAMP WELLMAN, DANES ISLAND 

Thursday, July 5 

Planned to leave, but the ice-pack to the 
north was too solid to make sailing advisable. 
Colonel Fleischmann and Mr. Learmonth tried 
for seal in Smeerenburg Bay, but could not 
get near enough to any to have a shot. Had 
tea ashore at Camp Wellman. The party 
were still living in the Pike house, erected 
by Mr. Arnold Pike, an Englishman, in 1890 
and still in fairly good condition. Pike was 
a sportsman, had his own boat and spent one 
winter at Danes Island, and repeatedly in 
summer came to Spitsbergen for the hunting. 
Work on the new buildings was progressing 
with great rapidity and the living-house was 
almost completed. Mr. Liwenthal designed 
all the buildings and was superintending the 
work of construction, although Major Hersey 
of the United States Weather Bureau was in 
command until Mr. Wellman's arrival. All 
of the Wellman party came on board again 
in the evening. Cloudy and misty rain all 
the afternoon. The ruins of Andree's balloon- 
house are located directly back of the Pike 
house. The Express arrived late in the after- 
noon and anchored quite near us. 

[34] 



•V i*-* 



AT 








OFF 

Thunday, July ;> 

i.) leave, but thi j>*ck to the 

.- too solid to make f^ailint^ advisable. 

i Fleischmann and Mr T c n-month tried 

i \n 9impr ~( TihTira- tdd not 



The Pike House, Dane's Island 



proeTf»ssing 

, .e. was 

Mr. L; \\\ designed 

aperintending the 

.truction, although Major Hersey 

J Stat*"^ Weather Bureau was in 

until Wellman's arrival. AH 

man party came on board again 

fi^. ( Vloudy and misty rain all 

fju- ^ , , lins of Andr^e's balloon- 

i directly back of 

iiot arrived late in 



not 



Ruins of Andree's balloon house 





/L H 




iXDiuWa 1/ ^\u\ijO ivj a'xoiVi aO 





biUio■^^b■^o\ ^A\ m nsjiwW^ -17 c^mvj'J Aiiot yu^ ^'\vj6;\;i'^sam?>i 



On shore at Camp Wellman 



Smeerenburg Bay with Camp Wellman in the foreground 



Friday, July 6 

Again unable to sail on account of fog. Lay 
off Camp Wellman all day. Weather dis- 
agreeable and rainy. About midnight cleared 
sufficiently to enable us to leave. 



FROM DANES ISLAND TOWARD NORTH 
SPITSBERGEN 

Saturday, July 7 

After leaving Virgo Harbor again sailed 
through Danes Gat. A west wind made the 
sea quite choppy until we had rounded the 
northwest point of Amsterdam Island. The fog 
had lifted and the whole landscape was bathed 
in brilliant sunshine. Passed the entrance to 
Smeerenburg Sound and shortly after Fugle- 
sang (Birdsong) Island, then Fuglosund (Bird 
Island Sound), into which projected several 
large glaciers, and beyond lay Cloven Cliff 
Island and the Norway Islands. Numerous 
eider duck were seen, and several seals in the 
ice off the shore. 

Here in the narrow strait between the Nor- 
way Islands we encountered heavy drift-ice. 
Our course was northeast, and the Polar Sea, 
which lay to port, seemed an impenetrable 

[35] 



field of ice. Before us loomed a beautiful 
vista of bold headlands separated by bays and 
glaciers. Red Bay, with its glacier and cliff- 
bound sides, was covered with floating ice, 
between which were sheets of placid water 
that reflected the glorious sunshine. 

Large flocks of auks (Uria lomvia) and little 
auks (Alca alle) were everywhere, and now 
and then teist (Cepphus grylle) and the ever 
present "sea-horse." 

During the early morning reached latitude 
80°,* or six hundred miles from the Pole, but 
could go no further north on account of the 
solid ice and were obliged to change to a 
south by westerly course. Remained in the 
ice until late in the day, the Laura picking her 
way from floe to floe, and going so slowly that 
we seemed merely to drift. Bright sunshine, 
the wonderful ice blue, the calm limpid waters, 

— strange as it may sound, — had, in spite of 
the frozen scene, something of a tropical effect, 

— truly a fascinating day. A bear was sighted 
from the crow's-nest, but the boat which put 
out at once could find no trace of it. Two seal 
seen on the ice but not near enough to shoot. 

^ It may be of interest to note here that the explorers who have reached 
" farthest North " are Nansen (86° i4', on April 7, 1896), Cagni, with part of the 
Abruzzi Expedition (86° 34', on April 25, 1900), and Peary (87° 6', on April 26, 
1906). 

f361 






k^woP 







b!rt,wxo\v\uH 





re Ufa 


V It Lit Ul UOiU 


nds sepa! 


r'--"- ^r 


"vitb its giaciei aiiu 




' d with floating ice, 
* ; of placid water 



ill lie 



Smeerenburg Sound 



I 



...i \ ;. v>biiged ,. 

..^ westerly course. Rema; 

until late in the day, the Laura 

way from floe to floe, and goin''^ =• . , ..:at 

we seemed mor^W to r!rif\ , , ^,.t sunshine, 
tugiesang Islana p 

the wondei iuj. limpid waters, 

— strange a« it mn^ i, — had, in spite of 
the frozen hing of a tropical effect, 

— truly ' A bear was sighted 
from U t, but the boat which put 
ovii at one: .1 no trace of it. Two seal 

not near enough to shoot. 

;.'ir». vun t;ijjiurer8 who ««n-. ii;aulied 

n April 7. 1S95), Cagni, with part of the 

axjfCdiLon tSti j.; :i<f) Peary (87' 6', on April a6, 

Fuglbsund 



The Express again seen not far away. Late 
afternoon foggy. Lay to during the night. 

OFF NORTHWEST SPITSBERGEN 
Sunday, July 8 

At a little after 5 a. m. the cry of kobbe 
(seal) came from the crow's-nest, and by 1 1 six 
seal were on board, — two of them of the first 
magnitude, measuring nine and eight feet, and 
the others varying in size from six feet eight 
inches, six feet six inches, and six feet three 
inches, down to five feet eleven inches. 

The hunting of seal in the ice is interest- 
ing and exciting. When a seal is located on 
a floe, the ship at once stands by. Rifles 
and ammunition are always in readiness ; 
the hunters and sailors get into the seal boat 
as she hangs on the davits ready for lower- 
ing at a moment's notice in pursuit of game, 
and are down and away into the ice with 
wonderful rapidity. The seal boat carries 
three hands, is twenty-one feet long by five 
feet five inches beam, and is strong and 
swift to row. A strip of zinc sheeting about 
two feet wide covers the boat from the water- 
line up, to resist concussions with the ice. 
The oars hang in rope grommets to stout 
single thole-pins, and the steersman directs 

137] 



the boat by rowing with his face to the bow. 
The boats are invariably painted white to 
make them as inconspicuous as possible. 
Each boat is provided with harpoons, ice 
picks, ice anchor, and a telescope ; a compass, 
a keg of water, and biscuit are also included in 
the boat's appurtenances, and are particularly 
essential, since the dense sudden fogs of these 
regions often obscure the ship so completely, 
even at a short distance, that it is an easy 
matter to get lost in the labyrinth of ice. 

As the boat approaches the seal, the hunters 
kneel in the bow with nothing visible but 
their white-capped heads, the oarsmen lie 
flat, and even the steersman, whose white 
coat makes him less distinguishable from the 
surrounding ice, rows in a crouching posi- 
tion. As I say elsewhere, it is difficult to 
shoot a seal — that is, to shoot him in such a 
way as to get possession of him when shot. 
Unless the bullet hits him in the head and 
kills instantly, he flops from the ice into the 
water and usually does not rise again, al- 
though he may be mortally wounded, for 
even after death the carcass will not float. 
Seal holes are to be found only where there is 
bay or shore ice or far in on large ice fields ; on 
the floes the seal invariably lies near the edge. 

[38] 



'b-xood no a-xauj \o^^ m,U ^ 




I 



-xMM ''\o ^n'MnM^ 



boa IS 



11), UUU.-5 as pubK> 

Eacii ''- harpoons, 

picks, a T compcist, 

' ^ auu Dib- -uded in 



s 



.!.„!,. 



'e the ' ■ " ■ 



"By 11, six seal were on board' 



..'Olll Lll€ 

ouching posi- 
, :. iS difficult to 
ohoot him in such a 
w >n of him when shot. 

I . ■.. him in the head and 

k' ' flops from the ice into the 

w Hv dnos not rise again, ~al- 

iV i.c mortally wounded, for 

the carcass will not float 
r'^>»ind onlv where 

"Making off" blubber 



The seal were brought on board so that 
we might see them, and were then flensed. 
Ordinarily, however, when the seal is killed 
the boat is anchored to the floe, and the 
flensing done on the ice while the body is 
still warm, and the skin washed ; then on 
deck the crew have the greasy task of " mak- 
ing off"" blubber. Making off" blubber is the 
process by which the layer of fat is separated 
from the skin. The skins are hung blubber 
side up on a wide board frame mounted at 
an angle of about sixty degrees and placed on 
deck whenever it is to be used. One or two 
men clad in oilskins, armed with large knives 
sharp as razors and slightly curved along 
the edge, stand behind the frame. By a short 
sweeping stroke they slice off" the blubber, 
which rolls away of its own weight like 
a thick, oily blanket. It really looks quite 
appetizing, and one seeing it can better un- 
derstand how the Eskimos regard it as a 
delicacy. All ships hunting in these seas 
carry several among the crew who are ex- 
perienced in skinning and preparing the 
catch. 

The blubber and the skins, which are salted, 
are then stowed away in the hold in casks 
provided for this purpose. 

[39] 



During the afternoon the weather set in 
thick, so we made for more open water. The 
sea was quite calm, and we all greatly enjoyed 
the exercise of a row around the ship a num- 
ber of times, but could not venture far away 
on account of the fog. Mr. Lerner's Express 
again seen in the offing. 

OFF THE NORTHWEST COAST OF SPITSBERGEN, 
THE NORWAYS, AND CLOVEN 
CLIFF ISLAND 

Monday, July 9 

Soon after midnight we secured a fresh 
supply of water in a novel manner. We 
made fast to a large, flat ice-floe on which 
the trained eyes of the Captain recognized 
the signs of a fresh-water pond. A sailor, 
after first tasting the water to see that it 
was not brackish, chopped a hole in the ice 
formed on the surface of the pond, through 
which a beautiful blue was reflected ; the 
nozzle of a hose attached to a pump was 
then inserted in the aperture and the water 
pumped into a cask on deck. 

Mr. Learmonth shot a seal measuring six 
feet six inches, early in the morning. Seal 
seemed to be rather scarce and since no bear 
were to be seen on the ice fields, we deter- 

[4o] 




"fsm^t- 







the afternoon th 

J we made for more 
s. ;• \v;*s quite calm, and we all grcaiij 
the " e of a row around the ship a num- 

ber ■ ' M not venture far away 

uxu oi i '^' 'erner's Express 

fien in ' 



Cloven Cliff" urt-u 
UJ.U III ti liuvt'i mannfei . vyc 
iu-i i,j a large, flat ice-floe -^ ^-ir-t, 
.or trained eyes of ^^ r*. .,!..:.. ,^ 

tfie signs of a f •- *> , &cuior, 

after first tastiiii^ tu-. v>cm<.i iu o^-t- that it 
was not brackish, chopped a hole in the ice 
formed on the surface of the pond, through 
which a beautiful blue was reflected ; the 
nozyV' '** a hose attached to a pump was 
then . V. iled in the aperture and the Water 
pumped into a cask on deck. 

Mr. Learmonth shot a seal measurin 
r. <>! i^v «nches, early in the morning . ,» 

Carl, Colonel ¥l,eWmmann, "Mrs. 'Holmes^ Mrs. Fleischmann 
and Mr. Learmonth 



mined to leave Spitsbergen and make for 
Greenland, passing the Norways and stop- 
ping at Cloven Cliff Island to shoot birds 
for food and specimens. 

The "loomeries" on the steep cliffs of the 
island swarmed with birds. A steep climb 
up the precipitous rocks brought us within 
shooting distance of the birds flying to and 
from their nesting places, and three guns 
easily bagged one hundred and five auks, 
fourteen puffins, two little auks, one teist, 
four burgomasters (Larus glaucus), and six 
ivory gulls. A gale blowing from the south- 
west made it inadvisable to proceed on our 
course. We returned to Red Bay hoping to 
find some game in the ice and to wait there 
for favorable wind. 

The Express spoke the Laura off Cloven Cliff. 
Mr, Lerner stated that he was returning to 
Danes Island. 

Before leaving Spitsbergen for the west- 
ward journey the temptation is strong to at- 
tempt a brief historical description of these 
gloomy but fascinating shores. 

Spitsbergen is really composed of a group 

[4i] 



of six large and a number of smaller islands 
which form a vast Archipelago in the Arctic 
Ocean, with a total area of 27,000 square miles, 
of which West Spitsbergen, the most extensive 
of these islands, represents about i5,ooo square 
miles. This main island is triangular in shape, 
with the apex terminating in South Gape, — 
South Cape which will always loom up in the 
memories of this summer as the haven where 
our rudderless and storm-tossed ship found 
shelter on the 25th of June. The proximity 
of the Gulf Stream renders the climate, es- 
pecially on the western coast, less severe than 
that of other lands in the same latitude, and 
has made this Archipelago the most accessible 
of Arctic countries. 

As far back as the first quarter of the seven- 
teenth century, the fiords and bays with which 
the west coast is indented were the centres of 
extensive whale fisheries. In 1607, Hudson, 
an English navigator, sailing in search of a 
passage over the Pole from Holland to China, — 
the same quest which brought the Dutchman 
Barents into these regions when he discovered 
Spitsbergen in 1696, — observed the vast num- 

[42] 



bers of whales, walruses, etc., in these waters. 
With a realization of the great industrial possi- 
bilities, fisheries were at once established by 
the English and the Dutch. The most thriv- 
ing of all of these was the Dutch settlement 
of Smeerenburg on Amsterdam and Danes 
Islands, which in the height of its prosperity is 
said to have attained a population of 18,000. 
Year after year, with the opening up of the 
ice in the middle or latter part of June, hun- 
dreds and hundreds of sailing vessels came to 
urge their war of extermination upon the whale, 
the walrus and the seal, and then, like birds of 
passage, again went south at the end of the 
short Arctic summer; but so indiscriminate 
was the slaughter wrought, that by the middle 
of the seventeenth century Smeerenburg and 
the other fisheries were but abandoned ruins.* 
The only evidence now remaining is the find- 
ing of numerous human bones, usually under 
heaps of rocks, placed over them as a protection 
against bears and foxes. Major Hersey of the 

^ The walrus has become practically extinct, and whales are now caught only 
in the open sea, — the total catch for one season will not average more than a 
few hundred. This condition prevails generally. Spitshergen is no-man's land, 
trappers of many nations have hunted ruthlessly through the centuries, and with 
no protection the larger game is rapidly being exterminated. 

[43] 



' * Wellman Polar Expedition " informed us that 
while clearing away the rocks for the site of 
their living-house, they came upon two such 
cairns. 

Since the days when Smeerenburg flourished, 
the coasts of the chief islands of Spitsbergen 
have been repeatedly explored, and sailors and 
hunters have wintered — sometimes voluntarily 
and sometimes involuntarily — on these bleak 
and inhospitable shores, many of them suc- 
cumbing to that dread scourge of the Arctics, 
scurvy, but at no time have there been settled 
inhabitants, for Spitsbergen is not permanently 
habitable/ During four months in the summer 
the sun never sets, but much of the time is 
obscured by mists and clouds; and for an 
equal period in winter remains below the 
horizon. The surface of the country is a 
continuous succession of snow-clad mountain 
ranges and peaks (Barents gave it the name 
'* Spitsberghen," signifying "peaked moun- 
tains "), and those portions of the slopes and 
valleys where the sun melts during the period 
of sunshine are covered with slush and "mossy 

1 I have been frequently asked what "the inhabitants of Spitsbergen are like" I 

[44] 



bogs," — everywhere the eye rests upon barren- 
ness and desolation, and yet withal there is a 
wondrous beauty in the frozen grandeur of this 
far north-land which inspires an inexpressible 
feeling of a deep, mysterious awe ! 

FROM SPITSBERGEN TOWARD GREENLAND 

Tuesday, July 10 

At about 9 A. M. a seal was sighted on a 
cake of ice not far from the ship. I went 
after him with Mr. Learmonth. Shot but 
missed. Mr. Learmonth, however, got him 
— a fair-sized fellow measuring a little more 
than six feet. The catch of eight seal of the 
past three days yielded three and a quarter 
barrels of blubber. 

During the forenoon the wind veered, and 
we shaped our course for Greenland. Weather 
cloudy-dull. 

Wednesday, July ii 

At sea. Rain and fog at intervals all day. 
Ship rolled considerably but favorable wind 
made it possible to use sails, which helped to 
steady her somewhat. Early in the evening 

[45] 



small pieces of drift-ice indicated a large mass 
of ice not far distant. 

Thursday, July 12 

Occasional snow flurries during the night. 
Encountered large but rather scattered drift- 
ice during the afternoon and steamed among 
the ice-floes the remainder of the day. An 
impassable barrier of solid ice obliged us to 
change our course from west to northeast. 

Friday, July 13 

Lay to at about i2.3o a.m. to go after seal 
sighted from the bridge and lying some dis- 
tance from the ship. There were two herds, 
about ten in the nearer one, but the exact 
number in the second could not be counted on 
account of the fog. The rather heavy masses 
of ice made it necessary for the seal boat to 
wind in and out among the narrow waterways 
between the floes, and frequently the men were 
obliged to jump out on a floe to pull the boat 
through a particularly narrow passage, always 
holding on fast, however, lest the ice should 
give away. 

[46] 



The fog Increased in density and at intervals 
the deep tones of the Lauras fog-horn, indicat- 
ing her location, could be heard. Hans Dahl, 
one of the sailors, climbed a large hummock 
of ice and reported that the boat could ap- 
proach no nearer the seal. The herd lay on 
the far side of a large sheet of thin ' ' rotten 
ice." Crossing it might be fraught with dan- 
ger, but it was determined to chance it. Each 
man held an ice-pick or pole horizontally so 
that, if he should break through, the pole would 
support him and prevent his going under. 
Unfortunately the advance was in full sight of 
the seal and before more than fifty yards had 
been covered, all but one disappeared into the 
water. Several shots were fired at this re- 
maining one, a big fellow, but the distance 
was so great and the fog so thick that it was 
impossible to judge whether he was hit, al- 
though he did not leave the ice. 

The sailors advised returning, for the fog 
was coming in more and more heavily, and 
the sound of the fog-horn was lost in the dis- 
tance. When after a sharp row, guided only 
by the compass, the fog-horn could again be 

147] 



faintly heard, there was some confusion in 
placing the ship, as there seemed to be another 
and fainter horn in an entirely opposite direc- 
tion. This however soon ceased, and was 
attributed to the reverberations caused by the 
density of the fog. When the Laura was finally 
reached, she could not be seen until the boat 
was close upon her/ 

Several hooded seal were seen in the water, 
but, there being little likelihood of securing 
them even if hit, no attempt was made to 
shoot them. The fog lifted a bit now and 
then, and w€ saw small herds of Jan Mayen 
seal (Phoca foetida) jumping playfully about 
in the water. At four in the morning a 
young seal measuring four feet five inches 
was shot from the bow of the ship, and shortly 
after the boat put off in pursuit of another 
which slid off the ice before the boat reached 



1 Aiout the middle of Septemter a sealer which had been hunting in the ice 
off East Greenland returned to Tromso and reported having heard the fog-horn 
of another vessel on July i3. She had been beset by the ice for six weeks and, 
when the welcome sound indicating the proximity of another vessel was heard, 
she blew her horn repeatedly hoping to attract attention by her signals. Upon 
comparing the logs of the two vessels it was found that the Laura on July 1 3 was 
very near the sealer. This accounts for the second horn heard by our hunting 
party. The Captain of this boat as well as many others returning to Tromso in 
the Fall of 1906 stated that the ice was heavier and conditions generally were 
more unfavorable than they had been for several years past. 

[48] 



him, but was shot in the water and much to 
every one's surprise, floated. Like the first, 
he was small and spotted. During the day 
two more — one, of the blue-back variety — 
were shot on the ice a short row away, and a 
fifth one in the evening was near enough to 
kill from the bow, but it was not very large. 
The blue-back measured something over four 
feet, and the other five feet four inches. The 
blue-back is one of several classes into which 
the saddle-back (Pagophilus groenlandicus) is 
divided, according to sex or different stages of 
development. 

In the evening the light ice gave place to 
heavy masses. We had been making five and 
one-half knots with the aid of sails, but were 
obliged to lower them so as to avoid com- 
ing in contact with the ice except at a very 
low speed. The weather had been disagree- 
ably cold all day. The thermometer had 
several times registered a lower temperature 
in Spitsbergen, but the sharp wind and the 
proximity of ice made the air more penetrat- 
ing than at any previous time. 



[49] 



Saturday, July lU 

Heavy fog during the night and morning 
impeded our progress, and the Laura barely 
drifted along in the ice. The bag for the day 
was live seal, and one other was hit but lost 
by sinking. Colonel Fleischmann killed two, 
one measuring only two feet seven inches, but 
full grown in spite of his diminutive size and 
of the variety known as troll (gnome) seal. I 
killed a medium-sized one, and Mrs. Fleisch- 
mann shot a large fellow of the hooded variety 
measuring six feet eight inches. We got near 
enough to these four to shoot from the deck as 
they lay on cakes of ice. The other, Mr. Lear- 
month killed from a small boat. 

Cold and foggy. In the evening the ice as- 
sumed larger and larger proportions until we 
were in the midst of a dense pack. The ever- 
shifting ice, washed into fantastic shapes by 
the constant lapping of the waves and some- 
times tossed by the storms into high, jagged 
masses, with always the same wonderful color- 
ing, possessed a ceaseless charm. Twice we 
had come in uncomfortable contact with the 
ice. Once the Laura rode upon the foot of a 

[5o] 




\BS^ \^•^*5\_^'s^f^o«\Ac»^S9V*\ .iM 




W'^- 



.•m'^^Ai^:^ 






11 - J ..-^ ^55 -^^^ 1-ight and morning 

imppflod our progress, and the Laura barely 
drifl ' ' ; • '- the ice T'le bag for the day 
u\e aeai, and one oiner ' " ' " ' " 

'nking. Colonel Fleischmajia kiL 
two feet seven ^ 



Mrs. Fleischmanns first seal 



... and fo"^-' , - 

sunt!'' ' ' fj*^' proportions until we 

wer« uuiii of a dense par^ "^he ever- 

shiftssif:. i; c, washec; ' fantasuo ^uapes by 
lapping i- Yaves and some- 

iiiH' nto high, jagged 

ma8s«?8, with - same wonderful color- 

ing, po seless charm. Twice we 

h^ (X)s .omfortabie contact .wJlh the 

" Ine ever-snijling ice, washed into Jantastic shapes by 

the constant lapping of the waves " 



large floe, and for a few moments we feared 
for the propeller, but she slid off again with- 
out injury; and at another time a projecting 
piece of ice stove in several boards of the bul- 
warks quite far aft on the port side. This 
region is never clear of the polar ice which in 
the early summer begins to break up and drift 
southward. 

For three days we had been trying to beat 
our way westward through this field of ice 
to the shore ice off" Northeast Greenland, 
where we hoped to find bear, seal, and pos- 
sibly walrus. Time and time again we wore 
backward and forward, now and then getting 
into an ice-surrounded bay, only to steam 
out again where we entered. Our Captain 
finally decided that the ice was impassable at 
this latitude ; we accordingly veered our course 
east and in a few hours were once more in 
open water. 

Sunday, July 15 

In the open sea all day. Raining and very 

cold. During the morning we sailed before 

the wind to the south-southwest, hoping to 

get around the lower point of the ice-pack 

[5.] 



which extended to the south like a huge, 
frozen peninsula. A heavy sea rolled the 
Laura about most unmercifully, and we longed 
for the calm of the ice. We shipped water 
constantly through the scuppers, and the 
waves repeatedly washed over the gunwales. 
Later in the day the wind shifted to the east, 
and as there was danger of being driven on 
the ice, our course was changed to southeast 
and held until late into the night. 

Monday, July 16 

While sailing to the southeast, shortly after 
midnight we encountered ice to eastward. 
A gale was blowing, and in the early morn- 
ing, through good fortune, we chanced into 
an " ice-bay " which sheltered us from the 
storm. 

Again rain and the maddening fog ! 

The boatswain and two of the crew have 
developed infectious sores on the hand, ob- 
tained while making-off seal blubber. Under 
antiseptic surgical treatment the inflammation 
subsided in a few days, although ordinarily 
it is of several weeks' duration. 

[52] 



The experienced seal-hunters of the crew 
say that the poison, whatever its nature may 
be, is most active in July. Dr. Holmes 
thought these infections probably closely allied 
to a case he was asked to see on board a 
whaler at Bell Sound. One of the work- 
men, who had infected an abrasion on his 
chin, developed an enormous swelling of the 
sub-maxillary glands, high fever and chills, 
with inability to swallow even fluids for two 
days. 

Tuesday, July 17 

At about 2 A. M. left the shelter of the ice- 
bay. The sea was running rather high, but 
floating ice in scattered masses helped to break 
the waves enough to give us comparatively 
smooth sailing. Continued on a southwest- 
erly course until noon, when we again met 
the main pack of the polar ice. After pene- 
trating close floes for about two miles we 
came into a large bay relatively ice free. Beat 
about in this open but sheltered water waiting 
for the gale, which was still blowing, to sub- 
side. We could not venture further to try for 
a westward course, lest the ship should be 

[53] 



driven against the ice by the wind and stove 
in. Gigantic swells, some of them appearing 
to be a quarter of a mile in length, indicated 
the force of the storm in the open water to 
eastward. The ice rose and fell majestically 
with the sea, but on account of the magnitude 
of the swells there was no perceptible move- 
ment of the ship. The Captain, a sailor of 
many seas, who had made seventeen voyages 
to Arctic regions, and the boatswain too, who 
had sailed on both Arctic and Antarctic expe- 
ditions, had never seen anything to match this 
huge, undulating motion of the ocean and the 
ice. 

Early in the evening an opening in the ice 
to westward was visible from the crow's-nest, 
and we once more headed the ship into the 
pack and for Greenland, The sun shone dur- 
ing the forenoon and again came out bril- 
liantly for a few hours in the evening, — just 
a little reminder of the glorious Spitsbergen 
nights. For the first time in many days we 
were able to take a sight and record our exact 
position. Naturally when sailing through de- 
vious waterways among the ice, the accounted 
position cannot be very accurate. 

[54] 



ir u; swells, some ol u-s n cj-, ^ 

to bt a quarter of a mile in length, inuituicJ 
the force of the storm in the open water to 
eastward. Th« ice roso and fell majestically 
i, but on ac' 

"In the ajlernoon anchored to a floe . . . to take water 
from a large fresh-water pond on its surface " 

" Colonel Fleischmann took advantage of the opportunity 
to try a pair of skees " 



\> tlMA/ \,!l\. 



ac a 


Oil shone dur- 


iiui agai! 


>ut bril- 


liours in ti 


tiug, — just 




iisbergen 


rsl tin 


days we 


Another fresh-wd^er pond on 
posi Mi; :iilv vviicfii saihi 


i oiir exact 
an ice-floe^ , 
ig thrt5ufrh (iv- 


1 xfrns: the ice. 


tl> 



Wednesday, July 18 

There was still evidence of the rare condi- 
tion of the sea of yesterday. After we had 
penetrated the ice-pack for fully seventy-five 
miles, a gradually diminishing swell was still 
perceptible. Any swell in the ice is somewhat 
unusual, but it rarely extends further than 
fifty miles. 

In the forenoon three seal, two of medium 
size, were shot. The other, which Mr. Lear- 
month killed, was a large male of the hooded va- 
riety and measured something over eight feet — 
an ugly, fierce-looking brute. This seal (Cys- 
tophora cristata) is very ferocious and when 
wounded, not infrequently attacks his pursu- 
ers, violently splashing, and trying to bite them. 
The hooded seal, which we had previously se- 
cured, were females and were spotted black on 
dark gray like the male, but had no hood. 

In the afternoon anchored to a floe, about 
four hundred and fifty feet in diameter, to take 
water from a large fresh-water pond on its sur- 
face. It was quite a diversion to get down upon 
the ice for a bit of exercise and a fine chance for 
photographing. Colonel Fleischmann took ad- 
vantage of the opportunity to try a pair of 
skees which Major Hersey had given him at 

[55] 



Danes Island. The current caused the ever- 
shifting ice to move so rapidly that we were 
suddenly in the midst of a small pack and 
were obliged to cast away hurriedly before 
getting our full supply of water. Stopped 
again not long after to finish filling the tanks 
from another floe in a more favorable loca- 
tion. The ship's course, barring the varia- 
tions which sailing in and out of the ice always 
brings about, was rather continuously west- 
northwest. For a time the gray of the skies 
seemed to brighten, but the fog again came up 
and the air was intensely penetrating. 

Thursday, July 19 

The fog continued during the night. The 
temperature fell perceptibly, and the rigging 
was covered with a thin coating of ice. At 
about 8 A.M. the Laura was sailing through an 
ice belt in which the leads were so narrow 
that she had great difficulty in making her 
way. The Captain was obliged to force a 
passage through this belt to a stretch of fairly 
open water beyond, visible from the crow's- 
nest. The ship crashed and banged and 
butted her way, at times under full head 
of steam, much to our discomfort. 

About noon we emerged from the pack, the 

[56] 



Laura somewhat the worse for her encounter, 
for almost all of the ice-plates on the port bow 
had been wrenched from their bolts and were 
partly separated from the wood. She was 
making water at the rate of one foot an hour. 
The pumps were put to work and the leak 
soon repaired. The ship was lightened for- 
ward so that her bow rose about a foot and 
a half, in order to bring the damaged portion 
as far as possible above the water line. 

The ice to westward is again impenetrable, 
owing to the east and northeast winds which 
have prevailed during the past week. We 
circled slowly about all day at half speed, 
watching for a favorable opportunity to pene- 
trate further into the pack. 

This proved to be an eventful day for the 
sportsmen on board. At 2 a. m. two hooded 
seal lying close together on the ice were shot. 
The smaller one was a young male whose 
hood was just forming. The other, an ex- 
traordinarily large fellow, was lost after 
being hit twice, by rolling into the water, 
leaving a long trail of blood upon the floe. 
During the forenoon another of the same kind 
was secured. All of these were shot from the 
deck. Several others were seen but disap- 
peared before we could get within shooting 

[57] 



distance. During fog and cold weather the 
seal is not so frequently seen on the ice and 
is more shy than when basking in the sun- 
shine. 

Early in the afternoon Mr. Learmonth dis- 
covered three bear wandering over the ice 
about a mile from the ship. He was on the 
bridge scanning the fields of ice all about, 
when the bear casually came into his line of 
vision. They were coming up the wind and 
proved to be a female and two large cubs 
eighteen months old. The ship was quickly 
headed so as to intercept them, but when we 
were quite close the large one sighted us, and 
all three came to the edge of the floe, and 
the mother sitting, the little ones standing, 
gazed upon this strange object looming before 
them. We had been able to observe their 
actions minutely, and it was quite thrilling to 
see the old one, followed by her young, going 
with her great, ambling strides over the floes, 
jumping into and swimming rapidly across all 
intervening water. 

When we were within range cameras 
were first brought into play, and then Colonel 
Fleischmann with a well-directed shot hit the 
large bear, which tumbled backward into the 
water. A boat put off at once and found her 

[58] 




















*^ * 









v,vu»\vi\j r3s\j 



s\s 



;\Sji)E 



ring tog and cold w 
frequently seen on the ; 
is han when basking in the 



sh 



noon Mr. Learmoiiia dis- 



"Mr. Learmonth discovered three bear wandering 
over the ice" 



iiien. ^' ' ' to uJjtoeivc 

actions nuiiuUM^), .«aa a was quite thrillinj^ v 
see the old om, followed by her young, going 
with her great, ambling strides over the floes, 
t:!; into and swimming rapidly across all 
ling water -^ 

ii we A'Uiiii -• cameras 

ist brougiii uiK ' auu ihen Colonel 
mann with a wcii-u rected shot ^ ' 

! 'ar, ^ Bears in trie aistdnce' 

waU.r A boui pui ou at uaoe aau hmw 



[58; 



quite dead just where she had fallen. She 
was hit in the side, the bullet ranging through 
her lungs and passing close to the heart. 
Dr. Holmes and Mr. Learmonth each brought 
down one of the cubs. They rolled about, 
growling loudly, and staggered and crawled 
fully one hundred yards after being hit. One 
was in advance, but the second managed to 
reach him, and they lay one on top of the 
other when found. Both were shot in the 
shoulder. Dr. Holmes dispatching his with 
two bullets and Mr. Learmonth with three, 
his last entering the neck. All the shoulder 
shots passed completely through the bodies, 
one of Dr. Holmes's shattering the spine. 
The bears were towed to the ship by the small 
boats and hoisted on board by block and 
tackle. The mother measured six feet nine 
inches, and the cubs five feet nine and five 
feet seven inches. 

The carcasses of the bear, like the seal, are 
flensed by some of the crew ; the skin, how- 
ever, is towed for several hours to cleanse it 
thoroughly of blood. After a few days the fat 
is made off and the head skinned, the skulls 
are prepared and kept for use in mounting, 
and the fur salted and put away in barrels. 
The haunches of the cubs were hung in ' ' cold 

[59] 



storage " with the reindeer meat and the geese. 
The meat of the large bear was apportioned 
to the crew. 

The flesh of the polar bear, a strictly car- 
nivorous animal, is not so palatable as that of 
the American bear. An erroneous idea pre- 
vails that he lives on fish, but no fish are found 
so far north. He does however hunt seal, and 
this fact explains why the seals always lie in 
such close proximity to the edge of the ice. 
The fat with which the bear and all polar 
animals are supplied as a protection against 
cold makes the meat ' ' blubbery " or oily to 
the taste. It is also rather sweet. When a 
haunch is prepared for the table, it is cut into 
very thin slices which are pounded to make 
them tender and to work out some of the oil. 
Our chef always fried the bear steaks with 
onions, which modified the pronounced taste 
and made it quite a palatable dish; occasion- 
ally we varied the monotony by using tomato 
sauce instead. 

The sky was overcast all day, but we were 
free of a fog until late in the afternoon. It 
was very cold, the precipitated moisture con- 
tinued to freeze on the rigging, and even the 
pump from the water-tanks was frozen. 

Three snow grouse, or ivory gull (Pagophila 

[60] 









,jS«j^^::^%: 




#*s? 



a- s" 



"i\:)ji'\ok Wo'j '^iiO 



le reindeer meal ai 
n ■ liie large bear was 

to 

iiesh 01 the {3oIar bear, a buicu^ cai- 
nivoi ous animal, is not so palatable as that of 
the A; I ' An erroneous idea pre- 

vails tha. ' ' ' ^sh are fo^ln<^ 



"Dr. Holmes and Mr. Learmonth each brought down one of 
the cubs. . . . They lay one on top of the other when found" 

uJer and to v .,, .. .... oil. 

^^u! chef ^" friv. ...V .>(30r steaks with 

onion- uodilied the pronounced taste 

and U),u:. .. jaite a palatable dish; occasion- 
all' ' varied the mo"' !"?'v hx? n^'mg tomato 
sau I n!,->tead. 

The sky was overcast all ....^,. uul we wpre 

fp(„. ..r ,. fog until late in '^"^ afternoon. It 
wuo V. ij .old, the precipiu. . uioisture con- 
tinued to freeze on the rigging, and even 

i ^ ,/ Our cold storage 







iS m^ 



rg. 



[^Kj;^ p:JWV.'' ' '*' ' y '' :y^^ ' '' ^ ^': ' ^ ' :r^^?J''''-^ '^ '^^' ^' > ■ ^•;'>>lr^" . t ■ >■ 




eburnea), were shot. It is a species of gull, 
wholly white and a very beautiful bird. 

Friday, July 20 

Ice conditions again sent us to the south- 
southwest, and this course was maintained 
throughout the day. Somewhat brighter 
weather prevailed, the sun shone dimly 
through the clouds, and there was no fog 
until late afternoon and then only of short 
duration. Six seal were shot, all from the 
ship, some young hooded ones and the 
others blue-backs, but none very large. One 
that Colonel Fleischmann shot in the water 
floated until the boat reached him. There is 
a theory that if a seal is killed just as he in- 
hales, the inflation of the lungs causes him to 
float, but if he is at the point of exhalation, 
the carcass sinks at once. The sealers of our 
crew maintain that whether a seal sinks or 
floats depends upon the amount of fat with 
which it is supplied, and I believe this ob- 
servation to be well founded, as the few we 
secured which did not sink after death were 
invariably found to have a large quantity of 
blubber. 

The character of the ice has changed ma- 
terially. The floes have increased in area, 

[6i] 



and the surfaces, which hitherto have ahnost 
without exception been flat, are covered with 
a tumbled mass of irregular blocks of snow 
and ice, heaped one upon another and often 
rising to heights of twenty and sometimes 
even to fifty feet. Incessant motion from cur- 
rents and winds and reciprocal ice pressure, 
as the ice drifts from the inexhaustible store- 
house of the north, force the ice tables one 
over the other and cause this condition in the 
interior of the polar pack which is typical of 
what Arctic explorers term ' ' East Greenland 
ice. 

Lieutenant Payer in his ' ' New Lands 
within the Arctic Circle " states that ' ' In the 
East Greenland Sea the fields of ice often 
measure more than twelve nautical miles 
across; in the Spitsbergen and Nova Zembla 
Seas they are much smaller." The constantly 
accumulating covering of snow makes the 
heaped masses dazzlingly white. There is no 
longer any evidence of the mud-discolored 
floes which we noticed on the outskirts of the 
pack. The authorities (Nansen, Nordenskiold, 
and Nathorst) all agree that this discolored ice 
is carried by currents from the Siberian 
coast, where the rivers during the spring 

floods bring down large quantities of silt 

[62] 



been tlat, ar^ co\ 
^f irregular blocks of Si ■ 
and id one upon another and often 

eights of twenty and sometimes 
y feel. ^sant motion from cur- 

winds and reciprocal ice pr 
'^s from the inexhaustible st 
th, force the ice ■ 



" East Greenland ice " 

le Arctic 
East Green 
measurr^ 

across ;en and Nova Zembia 

Seas they are much smaller." The constantly 
accumulating covering of snow makes the 
heaped masses dazzlingly white. There is no 
longer any evidence of the mud-discolored 
Hoe?- which we noticed on the outskirts of the 
pack. The authorities (Nansen, Nordenskiold, 
and Nathorst) all agree that this discolored ice 
is carried by currents from the Siberian 
coast, where the rivers during the 
floods bring down large cjuantitic 








m 




""m 


— " ^j-— ~ 




DE^ 






^^A ^•Hb *- - «' 


t0t 


v^-..\- — , 


h^^gi^MM 


!9 




J 




'^^H 


H 


■*"*'■' ^Ik^rifk^ 


i 



which is deposited on the ice of the bays into 
which the rivers empty. 

The temperature is still below the freezing 
point. The ice upon the rigging is quite 
thick, and a crystal fringe of icicles hangs 
from the edge of many of the floes, where the 
surface snow has thawed and frozen. 

Saturday, July 21 

For several hours during the early morning 
we were under sail, heading for the northwest, 
and were able to keep our course with but 
little obstruction from the ice-drifts. Then 
a dense pack again sent us to the south- 
west, and we beat about all day, sometimes 
on this course and again to the northwest, 
looking in vain for a further opening. The 
winds, too, were most unfavorable, for they 
continued to be persistently east and north- 
east, thereby jamming the ice more and more 
closely. 

At 7 A. M. Mr. Pettersen, the mate, sighted 
a big bear walking over some heavy ice to 
starboard, and shambling easily along to the 
edge of the floe, where he plunged into the 
water for a morning dip. The first shot hit 
him as he was leaving the water about fifty 
yards from the ship. This as well as the 

[63 J 



next struck him in the shoulder; he whirled 
about and then ran rapidly over the ice, fol- 
lowed by several shots, all of which hit him 
and knocked him down, but he recovered each 
time and ran on. Mr. Learmonth at a range 
of about three hundred yards finally laid him 
low, but still did not kill. The boat put off 
at once and Colonel Fleischmann, Mr. Lear- 
month, and Dr. Holmes had a rough tramp 
over the floes, climbing hummocks and jump- 
ing across the waterways, to come within 
close range. The bear was on his haunches, 
unable to rise, but moving his head viciously 
about until Colonel Fleischmann sent a finish- 
ing shot into his neck. 

Napoleon, the bear dog, was let loose as 
soon as the boat touched the ice, took up 
the trail promptly and ran around the bear, 
excitedly barking, as if to make sure of guard- 
ing him until the hunters came up. The bear 
was a big male, measuring eight feet three 
inches and standing three feet eight inches 
at the shoulder. He weighed approximately 
eleven hundred pounds. He was flensed 
where he lay, for the carcass was too heavy 
to be brought over the ice to the boats. 

The day was again cold. In spite of the 
almost continuously bright sunshine a dense 

[64] 




•Aoan liA oVs\s ios\z ^nisVi5sij\^ li \\\^z iMMnwA'^Zi^YA \a$^o\oO " 




'fV)\ a A 9'\as\m ba?.i\b\\_ y,jj(M aR" 



,flp^ 



$\03\oa^v>/i sWvM ,i\nos\\i\'3%5si\'*l \sno\oO 




ruck him in the shoulder 

1 rapidly over th« 



lliM 



lowed bv 4iots, all of which hit ti 

and kno< ' >ut he recovered each 

tin, .earroonth at a range 

' V laid him 

" Colonel Fleischmann sent a finishing shot into his neck" 



mann sent o 
into his neck. 

on, the be. 
soon as th 

the trail p " He was Jlensed where he laji'.i bear, 
excit- as if to make sure of g:uard- 

ing hjiii until the hunters came i "be bear 

was I big male. t three 

inches and si inches 

at the should' smatel) 

el hundred pouiui^ flensed 

where he lay, for t' s was loo heav> 

to be brought over liie ice to the boats 
The IS again cold, h 

Colonel Fleischmann, with Napoleon 





..jsmi 




fog, which enveloped the horizon, made it 
impossible to get our bearings. 

Sunday, July 22 

All through the early morning the sun 
shone brilliantly upon a magnificent pano- 
rama of ice and snow. The hummocked 
masses, that extended as far as the eye could 
see, had the appearance of a rough, hilly, 
snow-covered landscape. The calm waters, 
reflecting the fleecy clouds and the blue of 
the sky, helped to form a picture we were 
loath to leave, and we remained on the bridge 
until well on toward five o'clock. For a short 
distance we followed a lead into very heavy 
ice, hoping to penetrate to open water beyond, 
which was indicated by a water sky, but a 
passage through was found to be quite impos- 
sible. The *' ice-blink " and " water-sky" are 
two important factors in Arctic navigation. 

"When light falls on a field of pack-ice, it 
is reflected in the stratum of air above it, and 
this span of light, called the ' ice-blink,' just 
above the horizon, warns the navigator of 
the impossibility of penetrating further. This 
phenomenon is often observed also over drift- 
ice, although not so intense nor so yellow in 
color as over pack-ice. Water spaces, on the 

5 r651 



other hand, show their presence by dark spots 
on the horizon, produced by the formation of 
clouds from ascending mists. These are the 
so called ' water-sky,' and faithfully Indicate 
the 'leads' beneath them. Above the larger 
' ice-holes ' they assume the dark colors of a 
thunder-sky, though they are never so strongly 
defined." (Julius Payer, "New Lands within 
the Arctic Circle." Narrative of the Discov- 
eries of the Austrian ship Tegetthoff in 1872- 
1874, Vol. I, p. 12.) 

Towards evening the wind shifted to the 
north. A water-way, only partially covered 
with drift-ice, opened before us and we headed 
once more for the northwest. All day we had 
sailed south-southeast, a most discouraging 
course, but patience Is one of the essential 
points of ice-navigation. 

The bag was two seal, both small and shot 
from the deck. The shooting of seal from the 
ship Is fraught with as much excitement as 
when hunting them In the manner which I 
have already described. The one who is to 
shoot lies flat on the forecastle head, his gun 
pointed over the gunwale, and raises his 
head and shoulders only enough to take sight. 
The ship is pointed so as to come up with the 
wind and drifts noiselessly — the machinery 

[66] 



has been stopped — toward the ice on which 
the seal lies. A head shot is, of course, 
always deadly, but the position of the seal fre- 
quently makes it difficult to aim at his head, 
and we have found that a bullet sent into the 
neck is equally fatal. 

The weather was again cold and very foggy. 

Monday, July 23 

A dull, cloudy day. The weather has mod- 
erated slightly, and the icicles patter incessantly 
on the deck as they fall from the rigging. The 
ship followed her course to the west by north- 
west with few deviations, but several times we 
have had to lay to on account of fog. Late 
at night we anchored to a floe to take fresh 
water. The Captain here demonstrated that 
rolling around on the ice, throwing one's 
arms and legs about, and performing other 
antics would attract the seal. Numerous 
heads bobbed up all around the floe. Mr. 
Learmonth shot at them and killed two, but 
only one of them floated. It was different 
from those already secured, — a spotted seal 
(Phoca vitulina), called " snad" by the sailors 
and of a variety most commonly hunted by 
bears. During the day two others — blue- 
backs — were shot. 

[67] 



Tuesday, July 24 

For a few hours during the forenoon the 
sun shone, the horizon cleared, and it was at 
last possible to take a sight. Our bearings 
were found to be Lat. 78°, i5', and Long. i3°, 
3' 6". We had gone several degrees to west- 
ward, but the ice and the currents had carried 
us about one hundred and thirty miles to the 
south of our accounted position. Soon after, 
we again encountered fog, and the remainder 
of the day was dull and cloudy. We sailed 
as usual along the network of narrow chan- 
nels, always trying to turn to account any 
lead which would further us on our course. 
A bag of seven seal made up the largest num- 
ber which had yet been shot on any one 
day. 

Wednesday, July 25 

Again we made but little progress for our 
passage was impeded by ice and fog. From 
midnight until almost noon the fog was so 
thick that we were compelled to make fast to 
a large field of ice. Not long after casting 
off from this anchorage Mr. Pettersen, the 
mate, spied three bears, a large one and two 
small cubs, on the ice quite a distance from 
the edge of the water. Colonel Fleischmann, 

[68] 



Mr. Learmonth, Carl, and two sailors had a 
long, fatiguing tramp in pursuit, but before 
they came within range the bears caught sight 
of them, started rapidly away, and were soon 
lost in a fog which came up suddenly. Late 
in the afternoon and for a few hours of the 
early evening we kept fairly well to our course 
and then, the same conditions as of the night 
and morning prevailing, we again made fast 
to the ice. Four seal — one shot on the ice, 
the other in the water — and an ivory gull, 
made up the day's bag. 

IN THE ICE OFF EAST GREENLAND 

Thursday, July 26 

Bright sunshine and a cloudless sky all day. 
Solid ice all about kept us at our anchorage 
until early afternoon when we made a futile 
attempt to bore through the pack, but were 
again obliged to anchor to a tremendous ice 
field. The wind meanwhile veered to the 
west by southwest and at last broke up the 
jammed masses, so that at about 7.80 p. m. a 
fairly clear water-way opened before us. So 
rapid is the effect of the wind upon the ice 
that by ten o'clock we were well out of the 
pack with sails set and heading due for 
Greenland. Shortly before midnight land was 

[69] 



sighted from the crow's-nest, and the moun- 
tains of the coast from Gape Hold-With-Hope 
to Pendulum Islands were plainly visible at 
a distance of about seventy-five miles. 

The brilliant sun of the day continued 
lliroughout the night. One seal was killed 
late in the evening. 

Friday, July 27 

Again held up by fog. The weather set in 
thick early in the day, and there was no alter- 
native but to make fast to the ice. About 
lo p. M. the mists lifted a little and three 
bears, an old one and two cubs, were discov- 
ered on the ice field to which we were anchored. 
A pursuit followed which was but a repeti- 
tion of tlic chase of two days ago, for every- 
thing was soon covered by a mantle of mist 
and the bears were lost to sight. Altogether 
a weary, disappointing day, made all the more 
so by the joyful expectancy of last night. 

Saturday, July 28 
A continuation of yesterday. During the 
evening we were again under way, but mak- 
ing little progress, for the fog was still dense, 
and we were in the midst of fairly heavy 
drift-ice. A slight swell indicated, however, 
that the open sea lay not far beyond. The 

[70] 









WPi 



»w'8-nest, and tlif^ n« -:n. 
,.,... TT! Cape Hold- 

f.^ P '-■ plainly vi- 

ty-five miles. 
Tit sv H^p day continued 

seal was killed 
r*ninff. 



"Shortly before midnight, land was sighted from the 
crows-nest " 

Peitersen and Carl 



>«_Mju covered I 
auu uic uear? " lo»t t 



J'\ S\A/i^v:tt IK I 



a weary, disap^ <.i<.ving da^. i!j«de all the more 
so by the joyful expectancy of last night. 

Saturday, July 28 
A continuation of yesterday. Durins^ \ho 
iiig we were again und< 
ing little progress, for the fog was islill dense, 
and we were in the midst of fairly heavy 
drift-ice. A slight swell indicated, how 

that the open sea lay not far beyond 

1 70] 



fog which so persistently checkmates us is ex- 
asperating, not only because we are unable to 
proceed, but because we are compelled to an- 
chor to the ice and are thus continually carried 
off our course with the floes which drift with 
the currents to the southwest at the rate of 
one knot an hour. 

Sunday, July 29 

Steamed slowly ahead all day. The fog 
was with us continually, merely varying in 
density, and at times an area of some extent 
would clear about us, only to be enveloped 
again in mist. The monotony of the day was 
somewhat relieved by sighting a bear and the 
shooting of a large seal. The bear, however, 
vanished in the fog soon after he was discov- 
ered. Most aggravating to lose seven bear 
within a few days on account of fog ! The 
seal, which lay on a rather inaccessible part 
of an ice field, could be approached only in 
a small boat and then by creeping up on it 
over the ice. It was of the first magnitude, a 
stor-kobbe (Erignathus barbatus), the same 
species as the large seal captured off Spits- 
bergen, measuring something over eight feet 
and yielding about two hundred pounds of 

blubber. 

[71] 



Late at night the lamp was lighted in the 
salon for the first time. The darkness, which 
is most unusual at this season in this latitude, 
is due to the fog-laden atmosphere. It rained 
quite hard for several hours during the even- 
ing and well into the night. 

Monday, July 30 

Another discouraging day. We were either 
anchored to the ice or, when the fog lifted a 
little, going along at half speed. The winds 
have been and still are perversely east, north- 
east and southeast, packing the ice in our 
course and heightening the difficulties of 
reaching the coast. 

A stor-kobbe was shot from the small boat 
— another large fellow, about the length of 
the one of yesterday. Replenished our sup- 
ply of fresh water late in the afternoon. 

Tuesday, July 31 

The sun came out brilliantly during the 
early morning hours and continued to shine 
fitfully all day, at times dispelling the fog 
and again only hazily penetrating the mists. 
Between lo and 1 1 a. m. the horizon was per- 
fectly clear, and the mountains seen from the 
crow's-nest on the morning of July 26 were 

[1^] 



Late al night the lamp was lighted m th« 
salon for the first time. The darkness, which 
is most unusual at this season in this latitude, 
is due to the fog-laden atmosphere. It rained 
quiff* harH for several hours during the even- 
in the night. 



30 



'Carl and Mr. Learmonth had an especially fine view of 
'elusive Greenland' from the mizzen-top ' 



•Ti 



!iie? 



a the small boat 
— anotl- about the length of 

the one of yesterday. Replenished our «up- 
nlv of fresh water late in the afternoon. 

Tuesday. 

The sun came out 
early morning hours and cc l t^^-shiat 

fitfully all d. dispelhng the fog 

and again only liaziiy penetrating the mists. 
B<tvveen lo and ri a.m. the horizon was per 
' Drift-ice floating gently past was perfectly pictured 

.^^M the mirror-like waters'' 
crow nesT 





sg :! i^"»^^;^WB!a i! ^SS ^ 




now plainly visible from the deck. Carl and 
Mr. Learmonth had an especially fine view 
of ' ' elusive Greenland " from the mizzen- 
top, an exalted position now grown to be a 
favorite point from which to view the sur- 
roundings. We were still some forty odd 
miles away from the coast, due west of our 
position when Greenland was first sighted, 
having made only about thirty miles in five 
days. A belt of densely packed ice lay be- 
tween us and a stretch of open water, but a 
thick stratum of fog made it impossible to find 
a passage through this ice or even an opening 
into it, and all day we beat about hoping for 
another unobscured view to westward. 

Early in the morning a bear was seen from 
the crow's-nest on a distant floe, but was again 
lost sight of. It is worthy of note here that 
polar bears appear to be of a pale-yellow 
color, and not white, when seen on the ice. 

The temperature was again at the freezing 
point and a sharp wind made the cold very 
keen. 

Wednesday, Avgust i 

A clear day at last and of wondrous splen- 
dor, as if to make amends for the days of 
mists and clouds ! I never thought to expe- 

(73] 



rience such weather in Arctic seas. Light, 
fleecy clouds sailed across an intensely blue 
sky, and the outlines of the irregular masses 
of drift-ice floating gently past were perfectly 
pictured in the mirror-like waters which were 
perhaps even more blue than the canopy 
above. There was no wind, and the sun was 
reflected with such intensity that it was quite 
warm. We sat for hours on the quarter- 
deck, basking in the sunshine, reading, writ- 
ing and even playing sniff. 

An ice-mirage to the west and southwest 
was very pronounced during the whole morn- 
ing and then gradually faded away. This 
phenomenon, peculiar to these regions, shows 
floating masses of ice, stretches of water, as 
well as land and glaciers, which are known 
to be beyond the line of vision, brilliantly re- 
flected in the heavens. Throughout an arc 
of about forty-five degrees a high wall of ice 
seemed to rise perpendicularly from the hori- 
zon, tapering at the two extremes into broken 
lines that extended like silver streamers into 
the sky. We had a fine view to westward 
over the sea which was full of solid ice, with 
no apparent leads through it to the open water 
and the coast beyond. It was more than 
tantalizing plainly to see the dark line of 

[74] 



mountains, streaked with snow but made in- 
accessible by this intervening, impenetrable 
barrier. The sea seemed to be wholly devoid 
of animal life, and we therefore turned com- 
pletely on our course, sailing in the direction 
where the bears had been seen and lost in fog. 
Now that the weather had cleared, we hoped 
to get some hunting while we waited for the 
pack to break up, for ice conditions are apt to 
be more favorable for reaching the coast of 
Greenland early in August. 

During the afternoon and evening eight seal 
were shot but only six secured, for two of the 
largest were lost by sinking. 

As the sun descended the slanting rays cast 
a wonderful purplish light over the flat surfaces 
of the ice ; the perpendicular edges, however, 
assumed a brilliant white to a pale golden hue. 
At midnight the sun was about five degrees 
above the horizon, still brilliant but lacking 
the warmth of the noonday sun. The differ- 
ence between the temperature of day and night 
is beginning to be perceptible, although this 
change is not usual before the middle of this 
month. 

Thursday, August 2 

Between 3 and 4 a. m. a mirage similar in 
character to the one of yesterday, but on a 

[751 



smaller scale, was observed to the southeast. 
All through the night a thin layer of new ice 
was forming between many of the floes. The 
fresh water, resulting from the thawing of the 
ice during the day, dilutes the surface of the 
sea water so that, when aided by an absence 
of wind, it readily freezes. This new ice was 
in some places one and a half inches thick, 
and formed of large needle-shaped crystals 
of a spongy consistency. 

Seals were scarce despite the sunshine, and 
only one was shot. 

Friday, August 3 

Our course to the south and southeast 
seemed again to carry us into the fog dis- 
trict, for soon after midnight we encountered 
rather thick weather which lasted well into the 
forenoon, when a bright sun, that continued 
all day and evening, suddenly dispelled the 
mists. We kept our course to the south 
until closely packed drift-ice barred further 
progress. Then we followed an equally un- 
successful short lead to eastward, and a fairly 
clear water-way opening to the north was 
our only alternative. All about us was heavy 
drift-ice, but we saw no large and hummocky 

fields such as bear frequent. 

[76] 








';i!?» 




'\h'iz \i^\)ooA \)s\HOY \') h^Wvk \'s»3" 



1 



rved to the 
\U I . the nignt a thin layer oi new ict; 

was ioi aung between many of the floes. The 
fresh water, resulting from the thawing of the 
ic -ag the day, dilutes the surface of the 

s. '' ' /hen aided by an absence 

oi wiiiu This new ice was 

in some '" * 'ches thick. 



ar> 



The channel made by the ' ' Laura " passing through newly 

formed ice 

.1.1 K.vnthcast 

,,, acountered 

.. i V, o.v.i. ..isted well into the 

.^u i. a bright sun, that continued 

uii uay <txid evening, >^>.^5.»'">'v .!;snf>llo,a the 

:-fr,. We kept '■ ^'^w^h 

closely pari' 

ress. Then • 

essful short leaa ^ 

water-way op- north was 

1 L only alternative, ;. about us was heavy 

driiVice, h)^^%j&J^^%,^ tF"""'*^' 
field '-'"^^- 



Mr. Learmonth shot a small seal in the 
water, and Carl killed a young hooded one 
from the forecastle-head, — his first seal. 

Saturday, August 4 

Observations taken at noon showed our 
position to be almost identical with that of 
July 24. Conditions were different how- 
ever, for the ice, which then was closely 
packed, has been broken up and we en- 
countered only an occasional floe of no very 
great size, although large masses could be 
seen to westward. We were under sail all 
day in very open water, a strong southwest 
wind making the sea quite choppy. We 
kept well to our course and were making 
for Shannon Island off the northeast coast 
of Greenland. 

For two days past the water lias been of a 
light-green shade. This change of color is 
confined to a stratum of from one to two feet 
in depth from the surface, and repeated tests 
show it to be about a degree and a half 
warmer than the darker water below, which 
indicates that it is due to unusually widely 
diffused currents from the Gulf Stream. 

The sun shone continuously but it was, 
nevertheless, very cold. Toward midnight a 
thick fog once more set in. 

[77J 



One seal constituted the day's bag. Early 
in the day, before we reached open water, a 
bear was again seen from the crow's-nest, on 
a large uneven ice field, but he disappeared 
so quickly behind the hummocked masses 
that the boat which put out in pursuit failed 
to catch even a glimpse of him. 

Sunday, August 5 

We forged slowly through the fog until 
toward morning, when it grew too dense 
to permit of navigation, and once more we 
resorted to the ice anchor. Remained fast 
throughout the day and night, only occasion- 
ally shifting our position to avoid collision 
with other floes which threatened to drift in 
upon us. 

Now and then a seal came very near the 
ship, thrusting its little head inquisitively above 
the surface, and then, with a quick flip, diving 
from sight. Three of them, all little snad, 
were shot. 

Monday, August 6 

Still besieged by the fog. The wind yes- 
terday and to-day has veered slowly from 

west-southwest to west-northwest, and we are 

[78] 



hoping great things from the effect of this 
favorable wind upon the ice off the coast. 

It is astonishing, however, that time does 
not drag more heavily considering the mo- 
notony of these days of inactivity and fog. 
We are usually "late to bed and late to 
rise," and assemble at 2 o'clock for our first 
meal — breakfast or luncheon, as you please. 
Dinner is served at 8 and midnight suppers 
are quite frequent. Occasionally, when we 
are especially energetic, the chafing-dish does 
duty in the small hours. Fortunately we have 
an excellent chef who does remarkable things 
with the canned and preserved materials at his 
disposal. Fresh meat now-a-days is an un- 
known quantity. The supply of venison — 
the Spitsbergen reindeer — is long since ex- 
hausted ; the bear steak which was but a fair 
substitute has likewise been consumed ; and the 
last of the geese shot at Foreland Island was 
served a week or so ago. The crew enjoy the 
meat of the young seal, but I am afraid that it 
is a dish we should not greatly relish. 

The so-called ' ' salon " is our combination 
mess and living room. It is ten feet wide 
by eleven and a half feet long and six feet 
high, and is well lighted by a small skylight 
and two small ports. A door, with a glass 

l79] 



panel in the upper half, leads to a small 
pantry which is the passageway to the deck as 
well. A table seating six, or several more 
with the aid of an extension, a sofa, two 
benches and a few chairs, constitute the furni- 
ture. A small stove in one corner adds greatly 
to the comfort of the room when constantly 
watched, otherwise it has a remarkable propen- 
sity suddenly to develop the powers of a red-hot 
furnace, or to grow cold with equal rapidity. 

Our chief delight is a rough book-shelf, 
put up by the ship's carpenter, which ex- 
tends across the wall above the sofa ; and 
this ' ' library " is our mainstay and never- 
failing resource. Bridge, too, is a panacea 
for many a weary hour. Sniff and other 
games also come in for their share, and 
graphophone concerts of almost daily occur- 
rence always form a charming diversion. 
Perhaps, though, the greatest factor in help- 
ing day after day to pass so rapidly is the 
knowledge of the suddenness with which con- 
ditions may change in these Arctic regions. 
We live in a continual state of hopeful ex- 
pectancy, and our optimism for what to- 
morrow may bring forth helps wonderfully 
through the tedium of to-day. 

The bag was seven seal. 

[80] 



Tuesday, August 7 

The weather cleared early in the forenoon, 
and we could at last cast off from the floe to 
which we had been anchored for fifty-two 
hours. A belt of mist at the sky-line was the 
only trace left of the fog. The day was very 
fine and was followed by an equally fine night. 
During the whole day we kept well to our 
course through an almost ice free waterway. 

The sun's rays at night are beginning 
to diminish in intensity, and the moon is ap- 
parent for the first time. Towards midnight 
its shadowy outlines were discernible to the 
south-southeast, while the sun shone brightly 
to the northeast. 

One seal was shot in the water close to the 
ship while we lay at anchor. 

Wednesday, August 8 

Another rare day of genial sunshine. Heavy 
drift-ice caused repeated deviations from our 
course, but we made fairly good progress until 
early evening, when we were again fog-bound. 
During the afternoon a dark wall of fog over- 
hung the horizon to the southeast like a pall. 
The wind gradually shifted to the same point 
and finally rolled the fog in upon us, so that 
we were soon completely enveloped and were 

6 [8.] 



obliged to anchor to the ice. A sight taken 
to-day is disappointing in the extreme, for it 
shows our position to be from fifty to sixty 
miles eastward of where we should have been 
according to calculations based upon our last 
observations. The Captain is at a loss to ac- 
count for this and thinks that possibly, while 
anchored to the ice from August 5 to 7, we 
were carried eastward by contrary currents, 
instead of, as is usual, to the southwest. 
Two seal made up the day's bag. 

Thursday, August 9 

We did not get under way again until /i-3o 
P.M. The weather only partially cleared, but 
a sufficient area was free from fog to enable 
us to make fairly good progress. A number 
of seal were seen on small bits of ice, some- 
times as many as five lying on one very small 
cake, and once ten were counted within a 
small area though not on one piece of ice. 
They were very shy and generally slid into 
the water before we came within range. We 
managed, however, to secure six. 

During the morning, while we were still at 
anchor. Captain Oien went out in a small boat 
after snad which were bobbing up and down 
in the water all about us. He would land on 

[8.] 



a floe nearest to where one was seen, and by 
whistling and gesticulating in his usual manner 
of attracting seals, would bring it quite near. 
In this way he shot nine in a short time. 

The day was very cold and the moisture 
from the fog congealed rapidly on the rigging. 
One ice grouse was shot. 

Friday, August 10 

Throughout the day we followed broad leads 
in very heavy ice, always heading, when pos- 
sible, for the north and northwest. In the 
early morning there was a light fall of snow. 
The weather continued very cold, although the 
sun intermittently penetrated the mists which 
still prevailed. 

During the forenoon a cylinder cap came 
loose, and we lay to for about an hour until it 
was repaired. While we were waiting Mr. 
Learmonth shot three ice grouse and Carl 
killed two seal. 

Shortly after 6 p. m. Mr. Learmonth descried 
a bear climbing over the hummocks of a large 
ice field about one and one half miles from the 
water's edge. It seemed almost futile to try 
for it at such a distance, particularly as the 
atmosphere was very hazy, but the temptation 

[83] 



was too great not to take the chance even if it 
was a desperate one. 

The going was very bad, and it was often 
necessary to wade through pools of fresh water 
covered with a thin layer of new ice, or to jump 
across channels where the sea water had eroded 
the ice. The snow on the hummocks was so 
deep and soft that time and again one or the 
other of the hunters w^ould sink in to his waist. 
The bear had not yet been sighted since leav- 
ing the ship, and it was only after very rapid 
walking for three quarters of an hour that he 
came into view, but still at some distance 
away. By preconcerted arrangement Colonel 
Fleischmann and a sailor deployed to the 
right, while Mr. Learmonth, Dr. Holmes, 
Carl and a sailor, with Mr. Pettersen and 
Napoleon in the lead, went to the left, run- 
ning whenever concealed by hummocks and 
crawling literally on all-fours when in the 
open where the bear might see them. Colonel 
Fleischmann by dint of hard running success- 
fully turned the bear, who started at a rapid 
trot in the direction of the rest of the party, 
apparently not seeing them, but trying to 
escape from the Colonel. 

From time to time the bear stood upright, 
his black nose pointing directly upwards, 

[84] 



sniffing the air and making as it were a 
rapid survey of his surroundings. When he 
was about one hundred and twenty yards 
away it became ahnost impossible to hold 
Napoleon. When Mr. Pettersen unleashed 
him he dashed straight at the bear. After 
a short chase bruin made for the top of a 
large hummock, and standing on his hind 
legs like a dancing bear, presented a mag- 
nificent spectacle. It is regrettable that he 
could not have been photographed in this 
pose. A bullet from Mr. Learmonth's rifle 
laid him low. He rolled from the hummock 
and was found lying upon his back, rolling 
from side to side, and growling and snarling 
viciously at the dog who was circling about his 
fallen enemy. Colonel Fleischmann arrived 
just in time to be in at the death. After the 
skin was removed it was placed fur down- 
wards, the four legs were tied together and 
a rope, passed through the throat and out of 
the mouth, was tied into two long loops. A 
sort of harness was thus formed, which en- 
abled the sailors, each of whom slipped a loop 
over his shoulders, to draw the hide more 
rapidly over the ice to the boat waiting at 
the floe edge for the return of the hunters. 



[85] 



Saturday, August ii 

It was very cold and snow fell repeatedly 
during the day. During a short interval of 
sunshine at midday a sight was taken which 
fixed our position at 76° 20' north latitude, and 
our accounted longitude showed us to be about 
sixty miles from the coast. On getting these 
observations the Captain ordered the course to 
be made south, for it was evident that we could 
not hope to approach Greenland so far north 
and there was a chance that the ice might have 
opened in a lower latitude. The ice was be- 
coming heavier and heavier, and our old enemy 
the northeast wind was again with us. 

The decision to turn seemed like beating 
a retreat, for there was but little doubt that 
other attempts would be only repetitions of 
our experiences of the past month. 

A successful bear hunt late in the evening 
was somewhat of a solace to this discouraging 
day. In the afternoon two bears, a mother and 
a large cub, had been unsuccessfully pursued, 
and this helped to heighten the excitement 
when, well on toward midnight, the watch 
on deck discovered another bear, calmly de- 
vouring a seal on a large sheet of fairly 
smooth ice at no very great distance from 

[861 



the ship. It was agreed that Colonel Fleisch- 
mann, Mr. Learmonth and one sailor — and 
of course Napoleon — should land on the ice, 
try to cut the bear off from going further away 
from the floe edge, and if possible drive him 
into the water at a point where the ship could 
head him off and give those of us on board an 
opportunity to shoot him. 

The bear noticed the men almost immedi- 
ately upon their reaching the ice, but seemed 
loath to leave his supper. After a moment's 
inspection of his pursuers, however, he set off 
at top speed toward the water with Napoleon 
close at his heels. It is astonishing with what 
rapidity these huge lumbering beasts can run. 
As the dog bounded after him in great, long 
leaps, this bear went so fast that he seemed 
scarcely to touch the ice. Once or twice he 
turned and made a pass at Napoleon who 
quickly retired to a safe distance, but the 
chase was at once resumed with vigor. Mr. 
Learmonth, Colonel Fleischmann and the sailor 
were bringing up the rear and sprinting along 
at a great rate. 

The whole of this thrilling scene could be 
observed from the deck, and when the bear 
reached the end of the ice, plunged into the 
water and swam in the direction toward which 

[87] 



we were heading, our excitement knew no 
bounds. When we came within shooting dis- 
tance Dr. Holmes, Mrs. Flelschmann and I 
each sent a bullet into him. A boat was low- 
ered and a rope tied about the carcass which 
was then hoisted on board with block and 
tackle. The bear measured six feet three 
inches, and was about three years old. He 
was young enough to be eaten, so that fresh 
meat once more adorns the rigging and the 
table. 

One hooded seal on the ice was shot from 
the forecastle-head. 

Sunday, August 12 

This morning at about 5 o'clock the Laura 
had an encounter with the ice which, for a 
short time, threatened serious consequences. 
While ramming some small ice-floes which 
obstructed a narrow passage between two ice 
fields, she ran on to the inclined surface of a 
large projecting ice-foot so as to raise her bow 
several feet and bring it into contact with an 
ice hummock as high as the bow itself. At 
the same time the ice astern was rapidly clos- 
ing in, for the two ice fields were drifting to- 
gether, and to be caught between them would 
mean destruction. 

The danger was increased, because the ice 

[88] 






•yy ■■ \ 



■3^nisjc\ . . . nc^6 s.i\T " 




!. T?:' /"■■■^i: 



b'woi no b?)V6ioj\ WiW ?.^ri;nio sAT *' 



bounds tne wilhij 

tance in\ Pleischmann 

each sent a bulief into iiim. A boat was 
ered and a rope tied about the carcass wtuoii 
was then hoisted on board with block and 
ta. 



" The bear . . . plunged into the water" 



K^ 



lucltned - 
< to ra 



obstructed a narrox 
fields, she ran on to Lin 

• projecting ice-fo 
several feet and bri 

hummock as hr 

same time the ) 

in, for the two 

er, and to b' 

•\ destruction 

" The carcass was hoisted on board " the ice 



h au 
\t 

CiOS- 

le tiiiitmg to- 
n them would 



was high and would ' ' pinch " the sides of the 
vessel instead of forcing her above the ice, as 
usually occurs when the pressure is brought to 
bear near the water-line, that is, where the 
sides begin to slope towards the keel. All 
hands were piped on deck at once. Part of 
the crew jumped upon the ice and bracing 
themselves with their backs against the ship 
aft on the port side, endeavored unsuccessfully 
to slew her around, hoping thereby to cause 
the bow to slide from its perilous position. In 
the meantime the ice was steadily encroaching 
on the rudder. The Captain ordered all hands 
forward. From the ice they exerted their 
united strength against the port bow until the 
ship began to glide slowly to starboard off the 
ice-foot. The ice, which by this time had 
closed in around the rudder and propeller, 
was the source of much anxiety, and there 
was great fear that the latter, while revolving, 
might be broken by striking the ice. 

Steamers built for ice navigation always 
have two-bladed propellers. The machinery 
is so arranged that whenever it stops these 
two blades stand vertically and are protected 
from injury by the stern timbers of the ship. 
Two sailors, leaning far over the stern, kept 

the Captain informed when it was safe and 

[89] 



when dangerous for the propeller to revolve. 
After repeatedly starting and stopping we 
were finally free without damage to the ship, 
but realizing more fully than ever how much 
our safety depended upon the never-ceasing 
vigilance, judgment and experience of our 
officers and crew. 

Soon after this exciting episode we steamed 
toward three bears sighted a long way off, but 
the light was bad, and we lost view of them. 

Repeated snow-flurries, caused by the cold 
which precipitated the fog in minute needle- 
shaped flakes, and the ice-covered rigging, 
with icicles four to six inches long, made the 
day seem bleak and wintry. The sun does 
not yet sink below the horizon in this latitude, 
but, as it is usually obscured now-a-days, the 
dull cloudy weather has hastened the end of 
the long Arctic day, and from about ten until 
after midnight we cannot read easily in the 
salon without the aid of artificial light. 

Three seal were the day's bag. 

Monday, August 13 — 

As yesterday we continued to the south 
and southwest, but in the afternoon a water- 
way to the west by northwest led the Captain 

to try again for Shannon Island. There were 

[90] 



several very large floes, but the water was 
fairly free from small drift-ice and we held 
well to the course. The fog still persisted, 
although it was at no time very dense. 

Tuesday, August ii 

At 4 A. M. we made fast to a floe, since 
heavy ice seemed to be to westward, but it 
was not possible to distinguish the exact con- 
dition of it on account of fog. When the fog 
lifted a few hours later, we found that our 
passage was completely blocked. We again 
made for the south and southwest, thereby 
abandoning all idea of getting to Shannon 
Island but still hoping to reach the coast fur- 
ther south in the vicinity of Franz Josef 
Fiord. 

The day was marked by two great bear 
hunts. The first one occurred about mid- 
day when a bear was sighted on a floe not far 
from the ship. Mr. Learmonth, a sailor and 
Napoleon, who, of course, participates in every 
chase, made up the landing party. Either 
they were to round up the bear and drive him 
to the water, or Mr. Learmonth was to take a 
long shot at him. He had no chance to shoot, 
however, as the bear got wdnd of the men at 
once. The poor creature certainly rushed 

191] 



from Scylla into Charybdis, for the ship soon 
intercepted him, and when he saw this new 
enemy he turned and swam rapidly back 
toward the ice. 

Colonel Fleischmann sent several shots into 
him but he continued onward. He was pur- 
sued in the small boat and, just as he clam- 
bered upon the floe, another bullet knocked 
him down. The vitality of these animals is 
surprising. Although he was hit in the back, 
the neck and the shoulder, the bear rose to 
his feet again and was starting off when 
Napoleon came up and held him until the 
Colonel gave him his quietus. He had been 
hit six times, and each one of the several 
shots should have been deadly. 

The second hunt was late in the evening in 
pursuit of an old bear with two young ones. 
Colonel Fleischmann, Mr. Learmonth, Carl 
and the boatswain started after them over 
the ice, but large hummocks so prevented 
their seeing the bears that hunters and hunted 
started off in opposite directions. For a time 
the bears seemed to have won out, but two 
sailors were sent upon the ice to try to drive 
them into the water where they could be shot 
from the ship. The old bear saw the men at 
once and seemed to be very alert and anxious. 



for she hurried on, but always waited for her 
young when they lagged behind and watched 
them carefully in difficult places. When they 
all reached the end of the ice on which they 
were running they plunged into the water 
together and swam towards a small, adja- 
cent floe. It was agreed that Dr. Holmes 
should shoot the mother and Mrs. Fleisch- 
mann and I, each one of the cubs. When 
the bears came to the floe they climbed upon 
the ice, and the large one and Mrs. Fleisch- 
mann's cub were killed after receiving several 
shots. Mine, though wounded, again took to 
the water, where he was soon despatched by 
a bullet in the back of his head. 

The old bear was quite large, measuring 
seven feet four inches. Mrs. Fleischmann's 
cub was five feet eleven, and mine was three 
inches shorter but heavier. The cubs were 
about two and one-half years old. I need 
scarcely say that Mrs. Fleischmann and I 
were elated and proud at having killed a 
polar bear, particularly because, so far as 
is known to me, no woman has before pene- 
trated or hunted in these regions. Four seal 
completed the fine day's sport. 



[93] 



Wednesday, August 15 

We have surely come into the domain of 
the bear ! Within a few hours this morning 
five were killed and one was captured alive. 
About eight o'clock we were awakened by the 
good news that three bear were on the ice 
ahead, and all of us were on deck in a trice. 
The rapidity with which every one dresses 
under the stimulus of a prospective hunt is 
quite remarkable — and sometimes the cos- 
tumes are equally remarkable. Dr. Holmes, 
Mr. Pettersen and two sailors formed a skir- 
mish line on the ice and thus kept the bear — 
a mother and two little cubs — well along the 
edge. They took fright at once, and the little 
ones ran on ahead while the old one stayed 
back, as if to shield her young. Napoleon 
again distinguished himself and his work was 
wonderful to see. When he was let go he 
gave chase to the old bear, incessantly worry- 
ing and harrying her. Whenever the skir- 
mishers seemed to be coming up too rapidly 
on the cubs, she would turn on the dog, 
hold him up as if to gain time for them, 
and then go on again. The cubs at last 
took to the water, but as they jumped from 
a high bit of ice one jostled the other, prob- 

[94] 



ably in his excitement, and the httle brutes 
growled and fought, even as they swam. 

The mother thinking, no doubt, that they 
were now well out of harm's way and beyond 
reach of the dog, turned from the latter and 
made for the water. She swam to a neigh- 
boring floe, upon which she climbed and 
looked about until she had located the cubs. 
Jumping in again she swam rapidly in their 
direction. The keenly developed maternal 
instinct, shown by all wild animals when 
guarding their young from danger, is in- 
finitely pathetic to see, and, despite the "lust 
of the kill," the hunter cannot but be touched 
by it. 

The little cubs were only about five months 
old, and it was decided to take one of them 
alive. Mr. Learmonth and Colonel Fleisch- 
mann accordingly put off in the small boat 
after them. By this time the mother had 
almost reached the youngsters. Several pho- 
tographs were taken of them in the water, 
and then Mr. Learmonth sent a bullet into the 
neck of the old one and Colonel Fleischmann 
killed one of the cubs. The other one was 
pursued, — and at first it took fast rowing even 
to keep up with him, — until he was tired 
out, when after several attempts, a noose was 

[95] 



thrown over his head and the other end of the 
line made fast to the bow of the boat. The 
boatswain, who was in charge of the capture, 
then tried to steer him with a large pole when- 
ever he started off in a wrong direction. 

The cub, young as he was, showed remark- 
able strength notwithstanding his long swim, 
and frequently towed the boat. Now and 
again he growled fiercely, viciously striking at 
the gunwale and sinking his teeth into the 
steering pole. By the time the ship was 
reached the little captive was quite exhausted, 
and was hoisted on board and tied to a ring 
in the deck without difficulty. There was a 
long fresh scratch on one of his hind legs, no 
doubt a last token received from his late 
brother in the fight to which I have referred. 
He looked like a great shaggy dog and at first 
seemed quite docile, but he was evidently only 
worn out, for he soon recovered his ferocity 
and made the day hideous with his growls. 
In the afternoon he was transferred to a rude 
cage of boards knocked together by the ship's 
carpenter. 

Poor little beast ! This is but a forerunner 
of what the future has in store for him, for 
he has probably exchanged the freedom of his 

great ice-fields for confinement behind iron 

[96] 



;*. 



>n^ 



^m\ -^-jbi?. cy\ b^iVv, . . . n\ii<AS?Ano(^ ?»j\T *' 







'■^ 'wji J ihe ouier ■ 

line rr ' uow of the boai. iue 

boats^ ...., , ., vv,,^ in charge of the capture, 
then tried to • ■ him with a large pole when- 
'■^"-'v he slari, ,. ...i in a wrong direction. 

. ac cub, young as he was, showed remark- 
able strength notwithsland- ■ ■ 'ong swim, 

••^ frequently towed the bum Now and 

' • teeth iuio luu 
(I., i*. 

" The boatswain . . . tried to steer him with a large pole" 

■ - iiiijU legs, .no 
vi. v4 from his late 
. • .vhich 1 have referred. 
*^' a^^iii shaggy dog and at first 

set . ^.. . -ocile, but he was evidently only 
worn out, for he soon r-'^.v^red his ferocity 
and made the day hi»^' ''■ his growls. 

Ill the afternoon he \\ •<! t- •' ■ 

cas^e of boards kno, I, 

Poor little he .. ,. ..., . ...,aer 

of what the ftr .^le for him, for 

ho bas or sKa fT-..,.rJ/.Tv. r.P }jjg 

"Tommy on board . . . soon recovered his ferocity 

and made the day hideous with his growls" 



bars.^ He seemed more contented, however, 
when freed from the ropes with which he 
had been tied and peacefrilly munched his 
meal of seal's blubber. Strange to say, he 
loves sugar quite as much as his cousin of a 
warmer clime. "Tommy" (for so we have 
named him) had been on board only a short 
time when the Captain discovered another trio 
of bears on the same floe. 

The hunt was practically a repetition of the 
first, except that the bears remained together, 
the mother always a little in the lead. Mr. 
Learmonth and two sailors did the driving 
over the ice. 

When the bears took to the water Colonel 
Fleischmann killed the big one. Dr. Holmes 
and Carl one of the cubs, and Colonel Fleisch- 
mann, Mrs. Fleischmann and I each sent a 
bullet into the other. It still swam on, but 
Dr. Holmes followed in the small boat and 
finished it. This bear, like most of those 
killed in the water, when wounded made a 
frantic effort to escape by diving, but the dive 
is always superficial and the animals come to 
the surface again immediately. 

The old bears were quite large and the 
cubs all about the same age — from five to six 

' Tommy was presented, on our return, to the Zoological Garden in Cincinnati. 
7 [97] 



months. Tommy's brother measured four feet 
ten inches, and the other two four feet six. 
Except for a few moments when they were 
occasionally hidden by an intervening hum- 
mock, the bears were all in full view of the 
ship from the time they were sighted until 
they were dead on board. 

After luncheon Dr. Holmes and Mr. Lear- 
month shot a stor-kobbe from the seal boat. 
It was a big fellow and measured eight feet 
four inches. 

During the night there was a light fall of 
snow of short duration, but the sun shone 
hazily all the morning. We steamed west- 
ward throughout the afternoon, but towards 
evening the weather grew stormy, and a strong 
wind blew up from the southwest bringing 
with it the usual fog. Heavy ice could be 
seen ahead, and we lay to in an ice bay, keep- 
ing the ship headed into the wind, and merely 
drifted about, waiting for the fog to lift and 
the wind to go down. 

Thursday, August 16 

During the night the wind increased in 
velocity, sheered to the northeast, and for 
several hours of the early morning blew up 

quite a gale. The day dawned fair and clear, 

[98] 



however, and we were again under way by 
6 o'clock. We were surrounded by heavy 
drift-ice closely jammed by the wind and until 
3 o'clock p. M., slowly bored our way through 
the pack, sometimes forcing a passage at full 
speed. At 9 o'clock in the evening Cape 
Hold-With-Hope and Pendulum Islands, or 
rather the peaks of the two, about forty-eight 
miles distant, were visible from the crow's- 
nest. Evidently the northeast wind had played 
havoc with the ice, for there was no open 
water, nothing but solid, impenetrable ice be- 
tween us and the land — truly a disheartening 
condition ! There may still be a desperate 
chance, but we have practically abandoned all 
hope of reaching the coast. The short Arctic 
summer has slipped away, and we cannot re- 
main much longer in the ice. 

East Greenland even under the most auspi- 
cious circumstances is always difficult of ac- 
cess, and we had been wretchedly handicapped 
by prolonged fogs, adverse winds and the per- 
sistently unfavorable lay of the ice. In addi- 
tion to these conditions — which perhaps every 
Arctic voyager must expect to encounter — the 
present state of the Lauras bow will not per- 
mit any ramming the ice, and, without ramming 
and forcing her way through the ice barrier, 

[99] 



no ship in a season like this can hope to pene- 
trate to the coast. It was determined to de- 
vote the time, while still in the ice, to hunting 
bears, always of course watching for a possi- 
ble opening in the pack to the westward. 

There was sunshine through the entire day 
and evening, followed at io.3o by a glorious 
sunset — our first since leaving Norway — but 
it did not grow dark, for the sky was bright 
with the soft glow of a lovely twilight. 

A little ice-grouse which I shot Was, un- 
fortunately, all the bag for the day. 

Friday, August i7 

Shortly after midnight we tied up to a floe 
to take fresh water. The fine, clear night 
afforded an opportunity greatly to enjoy the 
several hours during which we were an- 
chored, and the time was pleasantly passed 
in various ways — rowing, shooting and skee- 
ing. Three snad were killed, and we had great 
fun shooting, together with the mate and some 
of the crew, at bottles and tin cans on the ice. 

Several of the sailors are expert hunters. 
In fact we are to leave the bo'sun and two 
men at Jan Mayen Island, southeast of Green- 
land, where they will winter and probably re- 
main throughout next summer, shooting and 

[ 100 ] 



trapping. Dr. Holmes and I greatly enjoyed 
a pull in the small boat. 

It was quite calm, and ice, water and sky 
were tinged with the most marvellous coloring 
of an early dawn, for the sun rose at i.3o, 
just three hours after it disappeared below the 
horizon. 

We caught several jelly-fish, a small variety 
intersected with red and iridescent vein-like 
lines. Several terns and robber-gulls flew 
high overhead — the first birds, other than 
the ever-present fulmars and a few ivory 
gulls, that we have seen for some days. 

We cast off from the floe at about 4 a., m. 
and steamed slowly along all the morning 
through heavy ice. In the afternoon a fog 
came up, and we feared that all chance of 
hunting was over for the day. It partially 
cleared up for a few hours, however, and at 
9 p. M. three bears — another old one with two 
cubs — were seen. It was the quickest hunt 
on record — that is, our record — for within 
forty minutes from the time they were sighted 
the bears were lying dead on the deck. Mr. 
Learmonth, Dr. Holmes, Carl and Mr. Petter- 
sen formed the usual long driving-line on the 
ice. The big bear seemed extremely watchful 
and suspicious, probably because the cubs 

[101] 



were very young, and led the way rapidly to 
the end of the floe when, instead of taking 
to the water, they all turned at a sharp angle 
and ran in the direction toward which the ship 
was going. For a brief interval they were 
obscured by fog, then they emerged suddenly 
and directly ahead, still on the ice, about 
twenty yards in from the water and alto- 
gether only one hundred yards away. Colonel 
Fleischmann, seconded by Mr. Giaever, killed 
the old bear and one cub frofn the deck 
while the other cub, though wounded, started 
off. The ship in the meantime had come up 
to the floe edge, and Colonel Fleischmann, 
running over the ice, put an end to the little 
fellow before it could get away. The cubs 
were only a little over four feet in length 
and were between four and five months old. 
It was greatly regretted that the bears would 
not leave the ice, for we had hoped to capture 
the cubs alive, — a feat possible only had they 
taken to the water. 

Tommy is very philosophical and apparently 
resigned to his fate. A thick soup of dried 
peas, which he greatly relishes, has been 
added to his menu, and when sugar gratifies 
his sweet tooth he makes a low, contented 
sound as he munches it. 

[loa] 



Saturday, August 18 

As Colonel Fleischmann expressed it ' ' We 
are now out of our teens," for the twentieth 
bear was killed this morning. At a little be- 
fore ten the Captain discovered him from the 
crow's-nest. He was a great way ahead, on 
a long, narrow strip of ice, devouring a seal. 
We steamed after him at full speed, but be- 
fore we came near he took fright, ran rapidly 
across the ice, and plunged into the water. 
When we came up to him as he was swim- 
ming off the port bow. Dr. Holmes killed him 
with two shots, one in the back and one in the 
neck. He was a young male between three 
and four years old, and measured six feet 
three inches. 

The day was bright and clear but a sharp 
wind made the air very cold. Late in the 
evening we made fast to a floe, for though it 
is not dark, the light at this time of day is now 
insufficient to permit us to search for bear. 
Mr. Learmonth from the floe to which we 
were anchored shot an ice ryper and two 
snad, one of which sank. 

Sunday, August 19 

The weather was bleak and wintry and it 
snowed at intervals all the morning. About 

[io3] 



three in the afternoon a bear was distinctly 
seen a long distance ahead, but was almost 
immediately lost to sight in a sudden snow- 
storm. Nevertheless we steamed for the floe 
on which he was wandering when discovered, 
and made fast to the ice in hope of finding 
him. A strong wind compelled us to anchor 
to leeward, although the bear was on the other 
side of the floe which was several miles broad. 
It stopped snowing an hour or so later when, 
after repeatedly scanning the ice, we sighted 
the bear and started to go around the floe 
after him. While on the way the Captain 
descried three bear, an old one and two cubs, 
very far in among the hummocks. Colonel 
Fleischmann, Dr. Holmes, Carl, the bo'sun 
and a sailor — Napoleon for some reason was 
left behind — went on the ice while Mr. Lear- 
month was to do the shooting from the ship, 
if the bears should take to the water. The 
cubs were small and we wanted to take an- 
other one alive. Walking was unusually diffi- 
cult, because the floe was badly broken up by 
frequent water leads and high ridges. After 
a mile and a half of hard rowing, we at last 
sighted the bears lying on the top of a hum- 
mock. The mother was very uneasy and evi- 
dently winded danger, for she started off at 

[,o4] 



once, running between the cubs and keeping 
them close to her, instead of taking the lead 
as has been usual, and made for the main ice 
in the direction from which the men were 
coming. Before the line could be drawn in 
closely enough to head the bears off, they at- 
tempted to pass between Colonel Fleischmann 
and Dr. Holmes, who were, however, still 
some distance apart. Fearing they might es- 
cape to the hummocks beyond. Dr. Holmes 
took a long-distance shot at the old one, but 
the bullet grazed the chest of the little one 
between him and the mother. Then Colo- 
nel Fleischmann, who had run up some- 
what nearer, fired but also underestimated 
the distance. He shot a trifle short, but 
quickly raising the sight to two hundred yards, 
sent a bullet through the old bear's heart, and 
the huge beast fell in a heap and never moved 
again. 

The cubs remained with their dead mother 
until the men were not more than ten yards 
away, when they scrambled to the top of a 
hummock and curiously surveyed their pursu- 
ers, gazing so quietly that it was an easy task 
to photograph them. A discussion followed as 
to the possibility of taking them alive, either 
on the ice or by driving them into the water. 

[io5] 



The boatswain, of whom I have already spoken 
as an experienced hunter, maintained that nei- 
ther plan was possible and advised shooting 
them before they could run further. He had 
only once known of young bear being driven 
over the ice in a desired direction, and then it 
took eight sailors four hours to cover less than 
half the distance which now lay between our 
hunters and the floe edge. 

Dr. Holmes insisted that it could be done, — 
at least that it should be tried. Leaving the 
sailors to flense the carcass. Colonel Fleisch- 
mann. Dr. Holmes and Carl undertook the 
task of driving the cubs. Forming an ex- 
tended semicircle, with Carl in the middle, 
they succeeded in about an hour in getting 
them to take to the water about three hundred 
yards from the ship. It was worse than 
" driving pigs to market," for the little beasts 
ran hither and thither. In hurriedly trying to 
head them off", the Colonel and the Doctor each 
in turn broke through the newly formed ice 
of fresh-water ponds, the former only to the 
waist, but the latter up to his neck. Unfortu- 
nately he was carrying the camera, and the 
films were quite destroyed by an untimely 
bath. Now and then the cubs stopped and 
looked around as if to see whether they were 

[io6] 



still being followed and, as soon as their pur- 
suers seemed to be coming too close, off they 
trotted again although at one time Carl came 
within ten feet of them. 

We could not see the beginning of the 
hunt from the ship on account of a slight mist 
that obscured everything at so great a dis- 
tance. When, at last, the three appeared 
chasing the bears before them, it was indeed 
a remarkable spectacle. As soon as the cubs 
were in the water, Mr. Learmonth and several 
sailors put off in the small boat and caught 
them in the same way as Tommy had been 
captured. They were rather more difficult 
to secure, however, for the wind, which had 
full sweep over an ice-bay not far off, made 
the sea so rough that it took hard pulling 
through the waves to keep up with the cubs 
until each was finally lassoed. When they 
were brought to the ship the wounded one 
was shot, for only one was wanted alive. 

We called Tommy's cousin "Thelma." An 
obstreperous little cousin she was, for, al- 
though somewhat smaller, she objected much 
more strenuously to being put into the cage 
and, except when temporarily appeased by 
sugar or a dainty morsel of blubber, roared 

and growled incessantly. 

[107] 



The old bear is our second largest and 
measured seven feet seven inches. The cubs 
are between live and six months old and are 
five feet long. In the meantime, while this 
hunt was in progress, all trace of the first 
bear, after which we originally started, was 
lost. At about 9 o'clock the lookout in the 
crow's-nest caught a fleeting glimpse of him, 
but the light was too dim for us to keep him 
in view. It was decided to remain anchored 
to the floe for the night, on the chance that the 
daylight would reveal his whereabouts. 



[108] 



FROM THE ICE OFF EAST GREENLAND TOWARD 

JAN MAYEN 

Monday, August 20 

The hope of a bear hunt with the dawn 
came to naught, for by morning a snowstorm 
was raging and the wind blowing a terrific 
gale. We were in danger of being driven 
on the ice and by 5 a. m. were obliged to 
cast off from our anchorage. It was particu- 
larly disappointing to lose the opportunity of 
going after the bear, because this was to have 
been the final hunt. Our coal supply is very 
low, and the time has come when we must 
work our way out of the ice as soon as pos- 
sible. In the search for a passage to the coast 
of East Greenland during this unusual season 
of fog and ice, we have now cruised up and 
down the pack for almost six weeks, between 
the seventy-third and seventy-sixth degrees of 
latitude and have, in consequence, drawn too 
heavily on the Lauras coal supply. The aver- 
age consumption was two tons a day. 

Steam is absolutely essential so late in the 
season to guard against being beset by the 
ice, and therefore, although we hope to de- 
pend largely upon sails when once at sea, 
coal enough must be reserved to meet a pos- 
sible emergency of calms or contrary winds. 

[109] 



Our course now heads southeast for the 
Island of Jan Mayen. We sailed all day in 
almost ice-free water, only separated from the 
open sea to eastward by an irregular belt of 
ice which at one point we found not more 
than five hundred yards wide. But this ice 
formed a most effectual barrier and persist- 
ently kept us on its outskirts, for the storm 
has closely jammed the drifting floes. To- 
wards evening the wind abated somewhat 
and it was quite foggy. 

Tuesday, August 21 

Early in the forenoon we got through the 
heavy pack, but were not finally clear of the 
ice until evening. We sailed northward all 
day in order to round a long, narrow arm of 
ice which extended like a cape from the main 
belt. The heavy swell of the ocean, beating 
against the closely massed floes, formed a line 
of breakers which made the proximity of the 
ice both dangerous and exceedingly uncomfort- 
able and it was a great relief to reach the open 
sea. The sky was overcast and there was fog 
at intervals throughout the day. 



[no] 







t^r,-.; 1^ : 



W5 s'\o\^»(^ - -■ n3>(»M n»\, no 



-•«HBp 



S^. .fi» 









Ov^ - outheast for th<^ 

island -.J We sailed all day in 

almos' ' v... ,, ..uly separated from the 

open stward by an irregular belt of 

• '• v^ one point we found not more 
.w'lorl > irrls wide. But this ice 

= ,,.,,,, .. ,, l»fl>rier and persist- 

Tor fhp atfirrrt 



t-ntly kept 



"The magnificent snow-clad peaks of Mt. Beerenberg 
on Jan Mayen rose before us" 



')\ni \> r' i^^ • ' lHlt/<!^ll l.!> 



I "*i-re not finally clear of the 
111 uvtuuig. We sailed northward all 
uitj in order to round a long, narrow arm of 
ice which extended like a cape from the main 
belt. The heavy sw(>ll of th' -n, beating 
against the closely ma.^sed flo "d a line 

of breakers whicl; *■ ' ■ '' -^ *' '^"^ 

ice botji danger - 
able and it wab .. 5. 
sea. The sky was \. - . 

'The boatswain and two sailors . . . were soon busily 
engaged in conveying their stores ashore " 

[ uo] 



Wednesday, August 22 

Occasional brash-ice during the morning was 
the sole trace of the polar pack we had so re- 
cently left. We were under sail all day in 
a heavy sea resulting from the recent storm. 
The weather was clearer and the sun, shining 
intermittently, permitted an observation to be 
taken. 

OFF JAN MAYEN 

Thursday, August 23 

It was foggy during the night, but the 
morning was clear and the magnificent snow- 
clad peaks of Mt. Beerenberg on Jan May en 
rose grandly before us. This mountain is 
an extinct volcano, last seen in activity by 
Scoresby in 1818, rising to a height of 835o 
feet. We were exceptionally fortunate to 
see it in all its splendor, since it is usually 
enshrouded in fog, and even on this clear 
day a wide belt of mist obscured the lower 
third. 

When first sighted, the mountain seemed 
but a mile or two away, although it was really 
fifteen. Shortly before 10 o'clock a. m. we 
anchored in the partially sheltered Mary Muss 
Bay near the centre of the north shore of the 

island. Jan Mayen lies between 70° 49' and 

[1,1] 



71° lo' north latitude, and 7° 67' and 9° 3' 
west longitude. It is of volcanic formation 
and shaped like a large spoon, with Beeren- 
berg forming the bowl. It is thirty-three 
miles long, ten and one-half miles wide at 
the broadest point and one and one-half at 
the narrowest. The vivid green coloring of the 
mosses with which they are covered, contrast- 
ing with the varying shades of brown and 
terra-cotta of the strata of rock and lava, 
makes the rugged, steep cliffs of the shore- 
line exceedingly picturesque. Innumerable 
birds, some auks, but mainly sea-parrots and 
several species of gulls, make these cliffs their 
resting-place, because the precipitous sides are 
inaccessible to the foxes that abound on the 
island.* 

The boatswain and the two sailors who are 
to winter here were soon busily engaged in 
conveying their stores ashore in the ship's 
boats. They were eager to take advantage 
of the calm sea for, except in perfectly still 

1 The island was named after a Dutch whaling captain who visited it ahout 
1610. This Hollander established here an extensive whaling station which 
flourished for more than twenty years. Seven Dutch seamen attempted to live 
upon the island during the winter of i633-34, hut all died of scurvy. After 
that the island was seldom visited. Zorgdrager landed there in August, 1699, 
Scoresby, the younger, in August, 1817, Lord Dufferin in July, i856. Prof. Carl 
Vogt in August, 1 86 1, and the Norwegian Polar Sea Expedition in July, 1877, 
An Austrian expedition (referred to in the log) spent thirteen months there 
1882-83. 

[113] 




i',rilVu\'vn'( t\ nr>v't\oiT t- <^.[.\ ■/(' v"><iv ti; \>n\\<^'\f, ^.IJj^'^SjJJv) '*'' 







.' north lalituG ^ 7° 5^' '» 

west It IS oi volcanic 

and 5 

berg iormirig Ihc bov* 

miles long, ten and 

the broadest poir 

the narrow* 

mosses wit! v:o\erec 

ing with tlic 

lerra-cotta of th' 

" Quarters erected in 1882 by the Austrian expedition " 

'K>und ''-'■ 



I he boatswain an 
to winter here were ; 
conveying their stores 
boats. Thev 
of the calm sc;: 

1 Tk« Ultnd wt» named aftw « D<. 
i6to. Tlus Ilo'" 
fi-iiirished for mo 
■■a island ■ 

s. 



•ch 

iive 



.!<■,.. 100. , I . 



^Dr^wgod h found in astonishingly gr^dt"quantiti0' 

Ar, vi-i:vau -^^ ^^ Q^^ shorcs of the islartd" 



weather, it is impossible to land on account 
of a heavy surf. The Norwegian sailors 
always avoid "Jan," as they call it, because 
the island has not a single safe anchorage and 
fogs and sudden storms are very prevalent. 

The men are to occupy a part of the quarters 
erected in 1882 by the Austrian expedition 
that spent thirteen months on the island for 
the purpose of making scientific observations. 
The buildings are still in a remarkably good 
state of repair. Goal and various supplies 
had been left by the Austrians to be used in 
emergency by other Arctic navigators, should 
any chance to visit the island. A can of tinned 
meat was opened and found to be in good 
condition. The sailors also tested some of the 
contents of a barrel of gunpowder and found 
that, despite the lapse of twenty-four years, it 
had not lost its explosive force. There was 
likewise some dynamite, but prudence forbade 
the gratification of our curiosity as to the re- 
tention of its power. 

We spent the entire day ashore, feeling it 
a rare privilege once more to walk and climb 
about. At noon we had a delightful little pic- 
nic around a bonfire built of driftwood found 
in astonishingly great quantities on all the 
shores of the island. Almost all this drift- 

8 [ii3] 



wood comes from the coast of Siberia, whence 
it is carried by westward currents from the 
Kara Sea, through Barents Sea, to the south 
of Spitsbergen, and then taken by the north- 
ward flowing Gulf Stream into the gigantic 
Polar Current, on which it finally floats south- 
ward. Jan Mayen, lying obliquely across the 
path of a portion of this Polar Current, forms 
an obstruction which forces it eastward and 
westward, so that the wood is not only lodged 
on the north shore which it first reaches, but 
is deposited on all sides of the island. The 
wood was of all shapes and sizes. There 
were trunks of trees fifty feet long, and from 
two to three feet in diameter, but also hewn 
timbers — parts of vessels — which told the 
silent tale of many a wreck. 

We also found several glass floats, torn from 
the nets of the fishermen of the Lofoten Isl- 
ands off" the northwest coast of Norway. The 
floats are peculiar to these fishermen and are 
large, hollow balls blown of a heavy dark- 
green glass. Remarkable, is it not, that they 
were still intact, despite the perils of their 
long voyage in the polar seas ? Late in the 
afternoon Colonel Fleischmann and several 
of the party rowed along the shore, shooting 
birds as they whirred overhead to and froin 

["4] 







M 



!*». 



^Is^^tsssr. 



\s \.u\SKr\w -jiuAK!^ ^\i\v\ \ji\\j\\>i\';A^ b \ji>i\ .'j'j) noun \l 



whence 

d by westward currents from the 

Kara Sea. through Bnrfr , to the south 

nd then taken by the north- 
. !<i flowing Gulf Stream into the 
Polar Cur' r> which it finally floats south- 

ward. Jan Mayen, lying obliquely across the 
path of a portion of this Polar Current, forms 
ruction whi id 

' )t only lod£j;ed 
I reac; 



W' 



" We spent, the entire day ashore ' 

^pod was o! iji ^J'-'!'; , ' '„/ ' r 

Dr. Holmes, Carl, Mrs. Holmes, Mr. Learmonth _ 

and Mrs. Fleischmann 

parts of vessels — which told the 
lie of many a wreck. 
'W<^ also found several glass floats, torn from 
-; of the fishermen of the Lofoten Isl- 
the northwest coast of Norway. The 
j^ e peculiar to these fishermen and are 

'ow balls blown of a heavy dark- 
green t Remarkable, is it not, that they 
were still intact, despite the perils of~ their 
voyage in tlie polar seas? Late in the 
Colonel Fleischmann and several 
<.>t the party rowed along the shore, shooting 

"At nooniDe^hdd'ii delightful little picnic around ff^ 
bonfire built of driftwood" 



the cliffs, and an occasional landing was made 
on the narrow strip of beach to look for foxes. 
Several were seen, both of the blue and white 
variety, but only a young blue fox was shot. 
It was a memorable hunt, however, for Napo- 
leon, who had been taken along to chase the 
foxes, ran away. Several times in Spitsber- 
gen he jumped overboard and swam ashore, 
but always returned after a good run. Per- 
haps the scent of the foxes was too much for 
him, or who knows but that it may have been 
the ' ' Call of the Wild " ? These dogs are 
after all half savage, and although sometimes, 
like Napoleon, they are perfectly gentle they 
are quite lacking in the affectionate qualities 
we are so accustomed to find in our hunting 

dogs. 

Friday, August 24 

We were to sail for Norway as soon as the 
men had landed their supplies and accord- 
ingly, while they continued the work of un- 
loading, made the most of our last day for 
hunting. 

The bag was one white and two blue foxes 
and a large number of birds. Colonel Fleisch- 
mann and Dr. Holmes rowed to that part of 
the island where Napoleon had disappeared, 
hoping to find him, but there was no trace of 

["5] 



him to be seen and so we lost our hero of many 
a bear hunt. 

At 8 p. M. we weighed anchor. I think we 
were all glad to start on the homeward voyage, 
for with the passing of the ice and the coming 
of darkness the Arctic regions had lost their 
greatest charm. 

FROM JAN MAYEN TOWARD NORWAY 

Saturday, August 25 

The ocean was calm and we were under 
steam at half-speed throughout the day. 
Toward evening a good breeze came up and 
all sails were set. 

Sunday, August 26 

Favorable winds enabled us to make from 
six to seven knots under sail without the aid 
of steam. The sea was running higher than 
yesterday and rolled us about considerably. 
The nights are now very dark and for the 
first time, the stars are visible. 

Monday, August 27 

A gale was blowing and it was very rough. 
Again under sail without steam and at times, 
averaging as high as ten to twelve knots. 



[ii6] 



Tuesday, August 28 

It rained heavily during part of the night. 
We were still in the trough of a very heavy 
sea. The wind partially subsided but veered 
to a less favorable quarter, materially reducing 
our speed. Shortly before noon the coast of 
Norway was sighted. We hoped by evening 
to reach Malangen Fiord through which we 
were to sail to reach Tromso, but found, when 
we came nearer the land, that the unfavorable 
wind had sent us somewhat to the south of our 
course. We were obliged therefore to sail 
north-northeast for some hours in order to 
reach the mouth of the fiord, 

Wednesday, August 29 

At 2 A. M. we entered Malangen Fiord and, 
as it soon grew light, found new pleasure in 
viewing the quaint little Norwegian villages 
nestled along the green shores of this pic- 
turesque fiord. It was quite odd to again 
see human habitations, trees, meadows and 
cattle. 

What a difference a few days' sail had 
wrought ! It was difficult to realize that the 
regions we had left and the regions we were 
entering could belong to the selfsame earth. 

["7] 



At 7 A. M. we cast anchor in the busy little 
harbor of Tromso, eager, nay more than 
eager, for letters and for news of what the 
world had done during our absence of almost 
eleven weeks. 



*^«iifi- 



^'*>^i*ii: 



5> i%« 




[ii8] 



GAME LIST AND METEOROLOGICAL TABLE 



GAME LIST 



Date 


Wiere shot 


Bears 


Seals 


s 




i 


? 


a 
1 





1 

3 

n 


1 




1 

CO 


-0 

(0 

a 


S 

H 


June ai 
" a6 
" a8 

" 29 
" 3o 
July a 
" 4 
" 8 

" 9 
" 9 
" 10 

" i3 
" i4 
" 18 

" 19 
" ao 
" ai 

" aa 
" a3 
" a4 
" a5 
" a6 
" a8 
" ag 
" 3o 
Aug. I 
" a 
" 3 
" 4 
" 5 


Bear Island . . . 

Bell Sound 

Coal Bay . . . . 

ti it 
ft (t 

Sassen Bay 
Foreland Island . 
OflfN.W. Spitsbergen 

Cloven CUff Island . 
OflfN.W. Spitsbergen 
In Ice ofif Greenland 

ft (( (( 

(( ti ^t 
n (( (c 
(( (( tt 
t* it (( 

(* (( (( 
(( tt tt 
(( (C n 

<( t( (( 
«« (« (( 


8' 3" 

I 


6' 9" 

I 


5' 7" 
5' 9" 


a 

I 
3 

a 

a 

I 
I 

a 

I 

I 


3 
3 

4 

a 
a 
6 
3 

a 

I 

a 






I 
I 


9 

a 
i3 





[lao] 



GAME LIST 


(continued) 


































Geese 


Ducks 


Auks 


GuUs 


1 

CQ 

S 

I 


00 

8 
S 

en 
a 


J2 

2 

u 

rt 
« 

l/i 


1 

6 

• • 

I 


S 

CO 

a 
5 


eg 

— 
4 


a 

'a 

« 

3 


a 

\3 
a 



a 
CO 

5 

• • 


1 

1 

a 


a 
3 


r 

o 

I 
a 


■a 

u 


-§ 

69 

3 

1 

a8 


-o 

to 

a 


1 

•a 

§ 

I 
3 

• • 


CO 

a 
a 
:p 
(■ 

m 
100 

io5 


12 


I 


I 

I 

6 


1 a 

u 

5 
3 


3 

5 


g 

3 
I 


S 

i 



[lai] 















GAME LIST (continued) 


Date 


Where shot 


Bears 


Seals 


fa 

'S 
PS 




i 


9 


to 

a 

1 





CD 

n 

c 

s 

n 


1 




1 


a 
CO 


I 


Aug. 6 

" 7 
" 8 

" 9 

" 10 

" II 

" la 
" i4 

" i5 
" i5 

" 17 

" 18 

" 19 
" a3 

" a4 

Aug. 1 5 
" 19 


In Ice off Greenland 
(( <( tt 
(( t( it 
(( tt it 

(( tt tt 
tt tt tt 

C( If tt 

tt tt tt 
tt (( tt 

tt (i tt 

It It tt 

tt tt tt 
tt tt (t 

Jan Mayen . . . 


6' 3" 

I 

7' 4" 

6' 10" 

a 

6' 3" 
I 


7' 

I 

7' 

7' I" 

a 

6' 

I 

7' 7" 

I 


5' 8" 

5' it" 

a? 

4' 10" 

4' 6" 
4' 6" 
2? 

4' 6" 

4' 3" 
I? 

5' 


I 

I 
a 
3 


I 
I 

I 






6 

I 

a 

i3 

a 

I 

3 

I 
a 




I blue 

a blue 
I white 


5 


6 


10 

J 


a3|3i 


a 


i3|34 


a4 


4 


Young bear alive, ^l 

t, t, ^i 


ai 

' 10" I 
t' 10" I 

a3 






io3 









The scientific names of mammals as given in the log follow Trouessart's 
Catalogus Mammalium; of birds, the American Ornithologists' Union Check 
List. 

The varieties of seals taken on the cruise of the Laura were : Ringed seal 

[laa] 



GAME LIST 


(concluded) 


































Geese 


Ducks 


Auks 


Gulls 


2 

1 

CO 

B 

3 
10 


en 

1 

re 
o 

u 

PS 

' 


i2 

2 
!; 

Oi 
n 

i5 
5o 
83 


7 


CO 

s 

7 


a. 

2 

T 


g 

11 

a 


00 

60 

_g 
"S 

3 

n 

o 

□ 

1/3 

T 


00 

B 

!_ 

3 


ClO 

a 

IS 


O 

— 
3 


o 

o 

I 




a 
I 


1 
*« 

■3) 

c 

T 


'3 
a 
:3 


-2 
Id 


-a 
o 

c 
3 

I 


ClO 

8 


1 




r 

I 
I 

T 


2 
S 

5 

7 

13 


33 


lOI 


305 



(Pusa foelida). Saddleback or Harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus). Hooded 
seal (Cystophora cristata), Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), Bearded seal (Erignathus 
barbalus). 



[lao] 



METEOROLOGICAL TABLE. 



Date. 


Wind.i 


Thermometer. 


June 17 


8 A.M. W.N.W. 
8 p.m. N.W. 


5 


\ Air, 
8 ^■"- i Water. 

«-|wa'ter. 


Cent. Fahr. 

6.4 43.5 
6.0 4a. 8 
6.3 43.3 
6.9 44.4 


June 18 


8 A.M. N.W. 1 
8 P.M. Westerly 


5 


8-lwaier. 
S Air, 
S •"■"■ 1 Water, 


Not taken 
6.8 44.a 
7.1 44.7 
6.0 42.8 


June 19 


8 A.M. W. 

8 P.M. W. 


4 
4 


^^•"•i Water, 
\ Air, 
^''•"•1 Water, 


5.8 42.4 

5.8 43.4 

5.9 42.6 
5.9 42.6 


June ao 


8 A.M. Northerly 
8 p.m. 


3 
3 


\ Air, 
^^•"i Water, 

«-lwa'ter. 


5.1 4i.i 
5.3 4i.5 
4.1 39.3 
4.5 4o.i 


June a I 


8 A.M. Westerly 
8 P.M. Northerly 


3 
3 


S-jwa-ter, 
S-jwaier. 


1.2 34.1 
-0.4 3i.a 
Not taken 
Not taken 


June a a 


8 A.M. W. 

8 p.m. W. 


4 
4 


( Air, 

8 A.M. -^ „r ' 

\ Water, 
«-|wa-ter. 


1.9 35.4 
—0.7 30.7 

1.3 34.3 
—0.6 80.9 


June a 3 


8 a.m. W. 
8 p.m. N.W. 


4 
4 


^^•"•{ Water, 
«-lwa'ter. 


1.5 34.7 
0.9 33.6 
1.9 35.4 
1.2 34.1 


June a 4 


8 A.M. N.W. 
8 P.M. N.W. 


4 
3 


«-|^;-ter, 
«-lwa'ter. 


1.9 35.4 
0.9 33.6 
a.o 35.6 
0.5 3a. 9 


June a 5 


8 A.M. N.W. 
8 P.M. N.N.W. 


3 
3 


Air, 
^^•"■i Water, 
S Air, 
^ ''•^- \ Water, 


a.o 35.6 
o.a 32.3 

1.4 34.5 

1.5 34.7 



^ The figures given under Wind signify as follows : o = calm ; i = just a 
6 = hurricane. 

[124] 



From Juke 17 to Juke aS, 1907 



Course. 


Distance. 


Latitude North. 


Longitude East of 
Greenwich. 


N.E. 


44 


Tromsb, 690 Sg' obs. 
Skaard, 70° 9' obs. 


Tromsb, 18° 45' obs. 
Skaarb, 30° obs. 


• « • 


None 


. . • 


. . • 


N.E.N, i N. 


47 


70° 57' 16" obs. 


30° 53' chron. 


N. 


i44 


73° ao' a8" acct. 


1 9° 24' acct. 


N. i3° W. 


66 


None 


None 


N.N.W. 


.8 


74° 3o' acct. 


190 so' acct. 


Generally N. 


64 


750 aS' a4" acct. 


170 11' acct. 


Northerly 


59-7 


76° a5' acct. 


16° 45' acct. 


Northerly 


i4 


76° 35' acct. 


150 45' acct. 



little wind ; a = fresh breeze ; 3 = half storm ; 4 = strong wind ; 5 = gale ; 

[135] 



METEOROLOGICAL TABLE (continued). 



Date. 


Wind. 


Thermometer. 


June a6 


12 M. N.N.W. 


4 


< Air, 
8 *•"• i Water. 

«-lwa'ter. 


Cent. Fahr. 
1.9 35.4 

1.6 34.8 
3.0 37.4 

2.7 36.8 


June 27 


8 A.M. N. 

8 P.M. N. 


3 
3 


\ Air, 
^^•"•i Water, 

8-lwaier. 


1.9 35.4 
1.5 34.7 
1.7 35.0 
0.7 33.2 


June 28 


8 A.M. N.E. 
8 P.M. N.E. 


a 
2 


a ^ A.ir, 
^ *•"• i Water, 
\ Air, 
« "•«• 1 Water. 


3.1 37.5 
1.5 34.7 
4.0 39.2 
a.o 35.6 


June 29 


8 A.M. Easterly 
8 P.M. Easterly 




( Air, 
^^■'••1 Water, 

8 P.M. \ ^'', 

\ Water. 


8.3 46.9 
3.7 36.8 
4.6 40.2 
3.0 37.4 


June So 


8 A.M. Southerly 
8 p.m. S.W. 




S Air, 

A.M. < nr \ 

I Water, 
8-lw^ter. 


2.9 37.2 
0.0 32.0 
5.2 4i.3 
a. 2 35.9 


July I 


8a.m. S.E. 
8 p.m. S.E. 




«-■] Water, 


5.9 42.6 

1.1 33.9 

6.2 43.1 
0.5 32.9 


July 2 
July 3 










8 A.M. S.E. ' 
8 p.m. StiU 


I 



«-l^^a'ter. 
\ Air. 
^ -•"• 1 Water. 


5.2 4i.3 

2.0 35.6 

5.1 4i.i 
2.8 37.0 


July 4 


8 a.m. S.E. 
8 P.M. S.S.E. 


2 
3 


S Air, 
« ^•"- ] Water, 

«-Sw^ter. 


4.2 39.5 
3.0 37.4 

3.3 37.9 
2.5 36.5 


July 5 


8 A.M. Southerly 
8 P.M. Westerly 


5 
3 


^ Air, 
S ^•"- ] Water, 
1 Air, 
^ "■»'• i Water, 


4.4 39.9 
1.4 34.5 
3.9 39.0 
1.6 34.8 


July 6 


8 A.M. Westerly 
8 P.M. S.W. 


4 
3 


\ Air, 
^ *•"■ 1 Water. 

«-{wa'ter. 


2.9 37.2 
1.8 35.2 

2.8 37.0 

1.9 35.4 



[126: 



From Johe a6 to July 6, 1907 



Course. 


Distance. 


Latitude North. 


Longitude East of 
Greenwich. 


N. E. 


None 

Place to 

place 


77° 7' acct. 


14" 3o' acct. 


N. and E. 


None 


77° 5 1' acct. 


i3° i5'acct. 


• • • 


None 


780 10' obs. 


i5° chron. 


• ■ ■ 


None 


78° lo' obs. 


i5° chron. 


■ • • 


None 


78° 1 5' obs. 


i5° 3o' chron. 


• ■ • 


None 


78° 1 5' obs. 


l5° 3o' chron. 




None 


• • • 


• • • 


• • • 


None 


78" 1 5' obs. 


1 50 3o' chron. 




None 


79° acct. 


10° 10 acct. 




None 


790 45' obs. 


11° 1 5' chron. 


. . . 


None 


790 45' obs. 


11° 1 5' chron. 



[127] 



METEOROLOGICAL TABLE (continued). 



Date. 


Wind. 


Thermometer. 


July 7 


8 a.m. Easterly 
8 P.M. Easterly 


I 
I 


\ Air, 
*''"i Water. 

^'••"•iwaier. 


Cent. Fabr. 

2.4 36.3 
0.8 33.4 
0.2 32.4 
0.8 33.4 


July 8 


8 a.m. S.E. 
8 p.m. S.E. 


I 

I 


D i Air, 
«*■"■< Water, 
\ Air, 
^''•"•l Water, 


3.3 37.9 

-0.2 3i.6 

2.2 35.9 

0.9 33.6 


July 9 


8 A.M. Easterly 
8 p.m. 




( Air, 
8 ^•"•1 Water, 

8-"-lwa*ter, 


2.6 36.6 
1.2 34.1 
4.2 39.5 
1.2 34.1 


July lo 


8 A.M. Southerly 
8 P.M. Southerly 


I 
4 


( Air, 
8 ^•"•j Water, 

«-|water, 


2.9 37.2 
1.4 34.5 
3.3 37.9 
4.1 39.3 


July II 


8 A.M. W. 

8 P.M. N. 


I 
I 


«-{waler, 
«-{wa'ter. 


2.6 36.6 

1.3 34.3 

2.4 36.3 
1.2 34-1 


July 13 


8 a.m. W. 
8 P.M. W. 


4 
3 


^--Iw^-ter. 
«-]wa'ter. 


2.1 35.7 
3.3 37.9 
I.I 33.9 

0.1 32.1 


July i3 


8 A.M. StiU 

8 p.m. S.E. 



3 


^^■"•{ Water, 
«-{wa'ter. 


2.6 36.6 
2.0 35.6 
2.8 37.0 
2.0 35.6 


July l4 


8 a.m. E. 
8 P.M. S.E. 


4 
2 


( Air, 

8 a.m. J. ,jr ' 

j Water, 
«-{wa'ter. 


4.0 3g.2 
1.4 34.5 
2.2 35.9 
0.4 32.7 


July l5 


8 A.M. S.E. 
8 p.m. E.S.E. 


3 

4 


«-lwa'ter, 
Air, 
^^•"■1 Water, 


a.6 36.6 
1.6 34.8 
2.2 35.9 
0,4 32.7 


July 1 6 


8 a.m. E. 
8 p.m. E. 


5 
5 


( Air, 

8 A.M. •< -n, . 

I Water, 
( Air, 

p.m. < Tir . 

( Water, 


2.1 35.7 

1.0 33.8 
2.0 35.6 
0.6 33.0 


July 17 


8 a.m. E. 
8 p.m. E. 


5 
4 


«-{wa'ter, 
«-lwa'ter. 


2.6 36.6 
0.4 32.7 
2.3 36.1 
0.0 3a.o 



[,28] 



From July 7 to Jult 17, 1907 



Course. 


Distance. 


Latitude North. 


Longitude East of 
Greenwich. 




None 


79° 62' acct. 


ia° ao' acct. 




None 


79° Sa' acct. 


ia° 20' acct. 


• • • 


None 


790 5a' acct. 


lao 20' acct. 


• • ■ 


None 


79° 55' acct. 


100 a5' acct. 


S. 710 w. 


80 
85 


790 5' acct. 
78° 5' acct. 


4° 59' acct. 




West of Greenwich. 


s. 45° w. 


0° ai' acct. 


S. 1° w. 


3o 


77° 35' acct. 


0° 18' acct. 


S. 7° W. 


5o 


760 acct. 


0° 5 1' acct. 


S. a8° W. 


3o 


76° 19' 5" acct. 


1° 54' acct. 


S. aS" W. 


45 


75° 38' acct. 


3° 6' acct. 


S. 4ao W. 


18 


74° 59' acct. 


3° 56' acct. 



[129] 



METEOROLOGICAL TABLE (continued). 



Date. 


Wind. 


Thermometer. 


July 1 8 


8 A.M. Easterly 3 
8 p.m. E. 3 


Cent. Fabr. 
g (Air, 0.0 32.0 
""•"• 1 Water, -1.0 3o.2 

J, 5 ■^'■' "•O ^2.0 

P-M. -j Water, -1.0 3o.3 


July 19 


8 A.M. E. 2 
8 p.m. E. a 


(Air, 0.0 32. 
° ■"•"• 1 Water, -1.0 3o.2 
j5 j Air, 0.0 32.0 
PM-j Water, -1.0 3o.2 


July ao 


8a.m. N.E. a 
8 p.m. N.E. 2 


g „ ( Air, 0.0 32.0 

A-M. ^ Water, -1.0 3o.2 

g j Air, 0.0 3a. 

■ j Water, —1.0 3o.2 


July 31 


8 A.M. N.E. I 
8 p.m. N.E. I 


8 . „ 3 Air, 0.0 82.0 
A.M. 1 ^^j^^^ _j^ 3^^ 

(Air, 0.0 32. 
** ^•'•- i Water. -1.0 3o.2 


July 2 a 


8 a.m. N.E. I 
8 P.M. N.E. I 


g (Air, -0.1 3i.8 
** '^•"- 1 Water, -i.i 3o.o 
g „ ,, (Air, -0.2 3i.6 
^ '^•"- i Water, -0.9 3o.3 


July a3 


8 A.M. N.E. I 
8 p.m. N.E. I 


8am "i^^' °'7 ^^-^ 

A.M. ^ ^^jg^^ _^ g 3^ 5 

g (Air, 1.0 33.8 
^ ^■^- i Water, -0.8 3o.5 


July 24 


8 A.M. N.E. I 
8 P.M. N.E. I 


g (Air, 0.9 33.6 
^ ''•"• 1 Water, -0.7 80.7 
g „,, SAsT, 1.4 34.5 
P-M- ^ Water, 0.9 33.6 


July 25 


8 a.m. StiU 
8 p.m. StiU 


g (Air, 2.0 35.6 
° *•'"•■) Water, 0.0 82.0 
g^„ (Air, 2.4 36.3 
" '^•'"- "1 Water, 0.0 82.0 


July a 6 


8 a.m. Still 
8 p.m. S. I 


g . „ 5^""' 2-3 36.1 
"'■■"• ^ Water, 0.2 3a.3 
a (Air, 3.0 87.4 
^^■^•j Water. -0.2 Si. 6 


July 27 


8 a.m. Still 
8 p.m. S.W. I 


g (Air. 2.6 36.6 
'*''■'"• j Water, -o.5 3i.i 
(Air, 2.6 36.6 
P-M- 1 Water, 0.0 82.0 


July 28 


8 a.m. S. a 
8 p.m. S. 2 


g S Air, 2.9 87.2 
*'''•"• J Water, -o.i 3i.8 
(Air, l.q 35.4 
S "■"•] Water. -o.5 8,.i 



[i3o] 



From July i8 to July 28, 1907 



Course. 


Distance. 


Latitude North. 


Longitude West of 
Greenwich. 


S. 890 W. 


56 


74° 58' acct. 


7° 32' acct. 


S. 88° W. 


42 


74° 57' acct. 


10° 1 5' acct. 




Round 

and 
Bound 


74° 57' acct. 


100 i5' acct. 


S. 73= W. 


3o 


74° 47' acct. 


13° 5' acct. 


S. 39° W. 


5 


74° 45' 45" acct. 


12° 17' acct. 


S. a8° W. 


44 


74° 6' acct. 


13° 47' acct. 


S. 86° W. 


31 


73° i5' obs. 


i3° 46' chron. 


N. 88° W. 


36 


73" i4' acct. 


i5° 25' acct. 


N. 31° W. 


8 


73° ac/ obs. 


i5° 39' chron. 


N. 45° W. 


i5 


73° 20' 4o" acct. 


16° 33' acct. 


• ■ ■ 


Nothing 


73° 20' 4o" acct. 


i6° 33' acct. 



[i3i] 



METEOROLOGICAL TABLE (continued). 



Date. 



Wind. 



Thermometer. 



July ag 



July 3o 



July 3 1 



August I 



August a 



August 3 



August 4 



August 5 



August 6 



August 7 



August 8 



8 A.M. 

8 p.m. 


S.E. 
S.E. 


I 
I 


8 a.m. 

8 P.M. 


8 a.m. 

8 P.M. 


N.E. 
N.E. 


3 

a 


8 a.m. 

8 P.M. 


8 a.m. 
8 p.m. 


Still 
StiU 






8 A.M. 
8 P.M. 


8 A.M. 

8 p.m. 


s.w. 

Still 


I 




8 a.m. 

8 P.M. 


8 a.m. 

8 P.M. 


Still 
StiU 




o 


8 A.M. 
8 P.M. 


8 A.M. 

8 p.m. 


s.w. 
s.w. 


3 
3 


8 a.m. 

8 P.M. 


8 a.m. 

8 P.M. 


s.w. 

s.w. 


3 
3 


8 a.m. 

8 P.M. 


8 a.m. 
8 p.m. 


s.w. 
s.w. 


3 
3 


8 A.M. 
8 P.M. 


8 A.M. 

8 p.m. 


s.w. 

s.w. 


4 
4 


8 A.M. 
8 P.M. 


8 A.M. 

8 p.m. 


w. 
w. 


I 
a 


8 A.M. 

8 p.m. 


8 a.m. 
8 p.m. 


w. 
w. 


I 
I 


8 a.m. 
8 p.m. 



5 Air, 

■ J Water, 
\ Air, 

' I Water, 

i Air, 
; Water, 
I Air, 
I Water, 

JAir, 
I Water, 
5 Air, 
X Water, 

(Air, 
i Water, 
5 Air, 

■ X Water, 

I Air, 
• Water, 
I Air, 
I Water, 

Air, 

Water, 
' Air, 
^ Water, 

Air, 
Water, 
Air, 
Water, 

5 Air, 
X Water, 

Air, 

Water, 

(Air, 
X Water, 
(Air, 
"j Water, 

(Air, 
I Water, 
] Air, 

■ ( Water, 

5 Air, 
j Water, 
5 Air, 
X Water, 



Cent. 

1.4 

-0.8 

1.4 

o.o 



0.8 

0-9 
i.o 

0-9 

1.6 
I.o 
0.8 
0.8 

I.I 
0.5 

2.6 
1.2 

1.4 
0.8 
3.0 



Fahr. 
34.5 

3o.5 
34.5 
Sa.o 



I.o 33.8 

-0.4 3l.2 

1.3 34.3 

o.a 32.5 



1.8 
-0.4 

0.4 
-0.6 

2.4 

-0.4 

5.2 

1-7 

2.6 

1.8 
o.a 
0.5 

I. a 
I.o 

2.8 

I.o 



35.2 

3l.2 

32.7 

30.9 

36.3 

3l.2 

4i.3 
35.0 

36.3 
35.2 
32.3 
32.9 

34.1 
33.8 
37.0 
33.8 



3.8 38.8 

1.3 34.3 

4.4 39.9 
1.0 33.8 



33.4 
33.6 
33.8 
33.6 

34.8 
33.8 
33.4 
33.4 

33.9 
32.9 
36.6 
34.1 

34.5 
33.4 
37.4 
33.8 



[,3a] 



From July 29 to August 8, 1907 



Course. 


Distance. 


Latitude North. 


Longitude West of 
Greenwich. 


N. 84° W. 


9 


73° 16' 24" acct. 


170 i' acct. 


N. 88° W. 


la 


730 16' 24" acct. 


17° 42' acct. 




Nothing 


73° 16' 24" acct. 


170 42' acct. 


N. 73° E. 


20 


73° 7' ai" obs. 


17° 21' chron. 


S. 6a° W. 


47 


72° 46' 4a" acct. 
72° 46' 42" obs. 


i4° 59' acct. 
i4° 59' chron. 


s. 42° w. 


24 


72° 28' 34" acct. 


1 5° 44' acct. 


N. 4i° E. 


45 


72° a' 34" acct. 
72° 2' 34" obs. 


i4° 39' 3o" acct. 
i4° 39' 3o" chron. 


N. 4i° E. 


16 


72° a6' acct. 


1 4° 3' 3o" acct. 


• • • 


Nothing 


73° 26' acct. 


i4° 3' 3o" acct. 




Nothing 


73° a6' obs. 


. . . 


N. 9° E. 


55 


74° ao' obs. 


10° 3o' chron. 



[133; 



METEOROLOGICAL TABLE (continued). 



Date. 


Wind. 


Thermometer. 


August 9 


8 A.M. W. 

8 p.m. N.E. 


I 
I 




Cent. Fabr. 

1.4 34.5 
1.3 34.3 
1.9 35.4 
1.3 34.3 


August 10 


8 A..M. E. 

8 P.M. N.E. 


I 
I 


S Air, 
8 ^•"- \ Water, 
S Air, 
^ ^•"- i Water. 


0.4 82.7 
0.8 33.4 

0.3 32.5 
0.6 33.0 


August II 


8 a.m. N. 
8 p.m. N. 


a 
2 


^^■"•{ Water, 
«-ifeer. 


0.2 32.3 

—0.6 80.9 

0.2 82.3 

-0.4 3l.2 


August 12 


8 A.M. N.E. 
8 p.m. N.E. 




«-l^I'ter. 
< Air, 
^"•"•1 Water, 


—0.6 80.9 
—0.4 3i.a 
—0.7 80.7 
—0.5 3i.i 


August 1 3 


8 A.M. N.E. 
8 P.M. N.E. 




^ Air, 
* ^•«- ^ Water, 
\ Air, 
8 ''•"•i Water, 


-1.8 28.7 
—0.6 80.9 
-0.2 81.6 
-0.4 81.2 


August 1 4 


8 A.M. S.W. 

8 P.M. S.W. 




^^•"•{ Water, 


—1.0 3o.2 

-0.2 3i.6 

0.0 82.0 

0.0 82.0 


August 1 5 


8 a.m. W. 
8 P.M. W. 


a 
a 


«-{wa'ter, 
^"•"■j Water, 


0.4 82.7 
—0.4 3l.2 
—1.0 3o.2 

-0.3 81.4 


August 1 6 


8 a.m. W.S.W. 
8 P.M. N.E. 


I 

7 


( Air, 

^^•"■i Water, 

«-iwa'ter. 


1.0 33.8 
-0.4 81.2 

1.6 34.8 
-0.2 3i.6 


August 17 


8 A.M. S.S.W. 
8 P.M. N. 


I 
4 


«--jfer, 
«-«• &er. 


1.6 34.8 
-0.3 3i.4 
—1.6 29.1 

0.0 32.0 


August 18 


8 a.m. S.W. 
8 P.M. N.E. 


I 
3 


«-{^:ier, 
«-{fer. 


—I 2 29.8 
0.0 82.0 
1.6 34.8 

—0.2 3i.6 


August 19 


8 a.m. N. 
8 p.m. N.N.E. 


3 

4 


«-{wa'ter. 

«-{feer. 


1.2 34.1 

0.3 32.5 

-0.4 3l.2 

0.8 83.4 



[.34] 



From August 9 to August 19, 1907 



Course. 



Distance. 



Latitude North. 



Lon^tude West of 
Greenwich. 



N. 450 E. 



N. 5o° W. 



S. a5° E. 



S. 57° W. 



N. 59 W. 



S. 60 E. 



S. 55° W. 



N. 43° E. 



S. 78° E. 



N. 4° W. 



3a 



5i 



N. 48° W. 28 



3o 



35 



17 



35 



19 



74° 39' acct. 



75° a' acct. 



750 30' obs. 



74° 52' acct. 



740 33' acct. 



74° 44' acct. 



74° 22' acct. 



74° 3 1' obs. 



73° 19' acct. 



73° 24' obs. 



73° 44' acct. 



i351 



9° 4i' acct. 



12° la' acct. 



i3° 5a' acct. 



ia° 49' acct. 



1 4° 39' acct. 



1 5° 5a' acct. 



1 5° 43' acct. 



16° 17' chron. 



i4° 18' acct. 



ia° 1 4' chron. 



12° 4o' acct. 



METEOROLOGICAL TABLE {concluded). 



Date. 


Wind. 


Thermometer. 


August 20 


8 a.m. N.N.E. 4 
8 p.m. N.N.E. 5 


«-{^Iier, 
^-{Wa'ter, 


Cent. Fahr. 

0.7 33.2 
-0.5 3i.i 

0.8 334 
-0.5 3i.i 


August 21 


8 a.m. N.N.E. 4 
8 p.m. N.E. 3 


«-{wa'ter. 
«-lwIier, 


0.6 33.0 
— 4 3i.2 

0.8 33.4 
-0.4 3l.2 


August a a 


8 A.M. Calm 
8 P.M. Calm 


«- {water. 
i Air, 
^"■"•1 Water, 


0.4 32.7 
0.2 32.3 
0.4 32.7 
0.3 32.5 


August a 3 


8 A.M. Calm 

8 P.M. 


( Air, 
^^•"i Water, 

«-lwa'ter. 


3.2 37.7 
a.4 36.3 


August a4 


8 a.m. 

8 P.M. 


«--{wa'ter. 
«-{wa'ter. 




August 25 


8 a.m. 
8 p.m. 


«-{feer. 
«-{wa'ter. 




August a6 


8 a.m. 
8 p.m. 


«-jwaier. 
Air, 
8 ^-"-i Water, 




August 27 


8 A.M. 

8 p.m. 


^ Air, 
8 ^•"- i Water, 


/ 


August 28 


8 a.m. 
8 p.m. 


a fAir, 
8 ^•''- 1 Water, 
8 1 Air, 
^''•^■i Water. 





[.36] 



From August ao to August 28, 1907 



Course. 



Distance. 



Latitude North. 



Longitude West of 
Greenwich. 



73° 3o' acct. 



73° 22' acct. 



72° 35' obs. 



71° 22' acct. 



71° obs. 



70° 21' obs. 



69° 3i' obs. 



11° 28' acct. 



10° 23' acct. 



7° 46' chron. 



6° 6' acct. 



o" 1 3' chron. 



East of Greenwich. 



8° 32' chron. 



1 5° 17' chron. 



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